California 

Regional 

acility 


THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 


ICanra  IE. 


THE  JOYOUS  STORY  OP  Toro 

TOTO'S  MERRY  WINTER 

IN  MY  NURSERY 

THE  GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

THE  PIG  BROTHER  PLAY  BOOK 


The  Golden 
Windows 

A  Book  of  Fables  for 
Young  and  Old 

By 

Laura  E.  Richards 


Author  of 

"Captain  January,"  "The  Silver  Crown, 
"  Five  Minute  Stories,"  etc. 


Boston 

Little,  Brown,  and  Company 
1927 


COPYRIGHT,   1903, 
BY  LITTLE,  BROWN,  AND  COMPANY 


All  rights  reserved 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


STACK 
ANNEX 

PS 


To  H.  R. 

Onoe  more  I  turn  to  you  and  give 
Into  your  hand  my  little  book. 

Since  through  the  years  and  while  I  live. 
It  is  to  you  I  still  must  look 

For  hand  of  strength,  for  heart  of  cheer, 
For  all  that 's  wise  and  kind  and  dear. 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

THE  GOLDEN  WINDOWS 1 

Two  WAYS 7 

THE  WHEAT-FIELD 9 

TO-MORROW 12 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  KINO 14 

THE  TREE  IN  THE  CITY 18 

THE  HOUSE  OF  LOVE 22 

THE  GREAT  FEAST 26 

THE  DESERT 30 

THE  WALLED  GARDEN 33 

THE  PIG  BROTHER 35 

THE  HILL 39 

ABOUT  ANGELS 41 

THE  POINT  OF  VIEW 46 

THE  OPEN  DOOR 49 

THE  DAY 51 

THE  BABY 53 

THE  APRON-STRING 55 

THE  SHADOW 58 

THE  PROMINENT  MAN 60 

GOOD  ADVICE ,  63 


viii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

FOR   REMEMBRANCE 64 

THE  SAILOR  MAN 66 

THE  ROAD 69 

THE  BLIND  MOTHER 72 

"Go"  AND  "COME" 75 

CHILD'S  PLAY 77 

THE  WINDOWS 80 

A  MISUNDERSTANDING 82 

FROM  A  FAR  COUNTRY 84 

A  FORTUNE 90 

THE  STARS ...  92 

THE  COOKY 94 

THE  STRONG  CHILD 96 

ANYBODY 98 

THE  GIFTIE 99 

THE  STAFF 101 

THE  DOOR 10S 

THEOLOGY 106 

A  MATTER  OF  IMPORTANCE 108 

THE  SCAR 112 

THE  STRANGER 113 

THE  WEDDING  GUESTS 115 

HOME    .  120 


FULL-PAGE   ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  The  Angel  said  to  this  child,  '  Where  are 

your  sheaves?'" Frontispiece 

"  Two  Angels  sat  together,  bending  over  a 

book  " Page  46 

"  They  found  the  sailor  man  sitting  in  his 

doorway  knotting  ropes  "  "66 

"  Laid  his  arm  round  the  stranger's  neck, 

and  led  him  away  into  his  garden  "     .  "      87 

"  These  were   evil  days   for  the  wedding 

guest" "117 


THE 

GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

A    BOOK    OF    FABLES 

THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

LL  day  long  the  little  boy 
worked  hard,  in  field  and 
barn  and  shed,  for  his  people 
were  poor  farmers,  and 
could  not  pay  a  workman ; 
but  at  sunset  there  came 
an  hour  that  was  all  his 
own,  for  his  father  had  given  it  to  him. 
Then  the  boy  would  go  up  to  the  top  of 
a  hill  and  look  across  at  another  hill  that 
rose  some  miles  away.  On  this  far  hill 
stood  a  house  with  windows  of  clear  gold 
and  diamonds.  They  shone  and  blazed 
so  that  it  made  the  boy  wink  to  look  at 
them  :  but  after  a  while  the  people  in  the 
house  put  up  shutters,  as  it  seemed,  and 
then  it  looked  like  any  common  farm- 


2  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

house.  The  boy  supposed  they  did  this 
because  it  was  supper-time ;  and  then  he 
would  go  into  the  house  and  have  his 
supper  of  bread  and  milk,  and  so  to  bed. 

One  day  the  boy's  father  called  him  and 
said :  "  You  have  been  a  good  boy,  and 
have  earned  a  holiday.  Take  this  day  for 
your  own ;  but  remember  that  God  gave 
it,  and  try  to  learn  some  good  thing." 

The  boy  thanked  his  father  and  kissed 
his  mother  ;  then  he  put  a  piece  of  bread 
in  his  pocket,  and  started  off  to  find  the 
house  with  the  golden  windows. 

It  was  pleasant  walking.  His  bare  feet 
made  marks  in  the  white  dust,  and  when 
he  looked  back,  the  footprints  seemed  to 
be  following  him,  and  making  company 
for  him.  His  shadow,  too,  kept  beside 
him,  and  would  dance  or  run  with  him  as 
he  pleased  ;  so  it  was  very  cheerful. 

By  and  by  he  felt  hungry ;  and  he  sat 
down  by  a  brown  brook  that  ran  through 
the  alder  hedge  by  the  roadside,  and  ate 
his  bread,  and  drank  the  clear  water. 
Then  he  scattered  the  crumbs  for  the 
birds,  as  his  mother  had  taught  him  to 
do,  and  went  on  his  way. 


THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS  8 

After  a  long  time  he  came  to  a  high 
green  hill ;  and  when  he  had  climbed  the 
hill,  there  was  the  house  on  the  top ;  but 
it  seemed  that  the  shutters  were  up,  for 
he  could  not  see  the  golden  windows.  He 
came  up  to  the  house,  and  then  he  could 
well  have  wept,  for  the  windows  were  of 
clear  glass,  like  any  others,  and  there  was 
no  gold  anywhere  about  them. 

A  woman  came  to  the  door,  and  looked 
kindly  at  the  boy,  and  asked  him  what  he 
wanted. 

"  I  saw  the  golden  windows  from  our 
hilltop,"  he  said,  "  and  I  came  to  see  them, 
but  now  they  are  only  glass." 

The  woman  shook  her  head  and  laughed. 

"  We  are  poor  farming  people,"  she  said, 
"and  are  not  likely  to  have  gold  about 
our  windows ;  but  glass  is  better  to  see 
through." 

She  bade  the  boy  sit  down  on  the 
broad  stone  step  at  the  door,  and  brought 
him  a  cup  of  milk  and  a  cake,  and  bade 
him  rest ;  then  she  called  her  daugh 
ter,  a  child  of  his  own  age,  and  nodded 
kindly  at  the  two,  and  went  back  to  her 
work. 


4  THE   GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

The  little  girl  was  barefooted  like  him 
self,  and  wore  a  brown  cotton  gown,  but 
her  hair  was  golden  like  the  windows  he 
had  seen,  and  her  eyes  were  blue  like  the 
sky  at  noon.  She  led  the  boy  about  the 
farm,  and  showed  him  her  black  calf  with 
the  white  star  on  its  forehead,  and  he 
told  her  about  his  own  at  home,  which 
was  red  like  a  chestnut,  with  four  white 
feet.  Then  when  they  had  eaten  an  apple 
together,  and  so  had  become  friends,  the 
boy  asked  her  about  the  golden  windows. 
The  little  girl  nodded,  and  said  she  knew 
all  about  them,  only  he  had  mistaken  the 
house. 

"  You  have  come  quite  the  wrong  way  !  " 
she  said.  "  Come  with  me,  and  I  will 
show  you  the  house  with  the  golden  win 
dows,  and  then  you  will  see  for  yourself." 

They  went  to  a  knoll  that  rose  behind 
the  farmhouse,  and  as  they  went  the  little 
girl  told  him  that  the  golden  windows 
could  only  be  seen  at  a  certain  hour,  about 
sunset. 

"  Yes,  I  know  that ! "  said  the  boy. 

When  they  reached  the  top  of  the  knoll, 
the  girl  turned  and  pointed ;  and  there  on 


THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS  5 

a  hill  far  away  stood  a  house  with  windows 
of  clear  gold  and  diamond,  just  as  he  had 
seen  them.  And  when  they  looked  again, 
the  boy  saw  that  it  was  his  own  home. 

Then  he  told  the  little  girl  that  he  must 
go ;  and  he  gave  her  his  best  pebble,  the 
white  one  with  the  red  band,  that  he  had 
carried  for  a  year  in  his  pocket ;  and  she 
gave  him  three  horse-chestnuts,  one  red 
like  satin,  one  spotted,  and  one  white  like 
milk.  He  kissed  her,  and  promised  to 
come  again,  but  he  did  not  tell  her  what 
he  had  learned  ;  and  so  he  went  back  down 
the  hill,  and  the  little  girl  stood  in  the 
sunset  light  and  watched  him. 

The  way  home  was  long,  and  it  was 
dark  before  the  boy  reached  his  father's 
house ;  but  the  lamplight  and  firelight 
shone  through  the  windows,  making  them 
almost  as  bright  as  he  had  seen  them  from 
the  hilltop  ;  and  when  he  opened  the  door, 
his  mother  came  to  kiss  him,  and  his  little 
sister  ran  to  throw  her  arms  about  his 
neck,  and  his  father  looked  up  and  smiled 
from  his  seat  by  the  fire. 

"  Have  you  had  a  good  day  ?  "  asked  his 
mother. 


6  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

Yes,  the  boy  had  had  a  very  good  day. 

"  And  have  you  learned  anything  ? "  asked 
his  father. 

"  Yes  ! "  said  the  boy.  "  I  have  learned 
that  our  house  has  windows  of  gold  and 
diamond." 


TWO   WAYS 


WO  little  weeds  grew 
on  a  bank  by  the  road 
side.  All  summer  they 
had  drunk  dew  and 
sunshine,  and  had  been 
happy ;  but  now  au 
tumn  was  come,  with 
gray  skies,  and  winds  that  nipped  and 
pinched  them. 

"  We  shall  die  soon ! "  said  one  little 
weed.  "  I  should  like  to  do  something 
pleasant  before  I  die,  just  to  show  what 
a  happy  time  I  have  had.  I  think  I  will 
turn  red,  and  then  people  will  see  how  I 
feel" 

"  You  will  be  a  great  fool  to  waste  your 
strength  in  any  such  nonsense ! "  said  the 
other  little  weed.  "  I  shall  live  as  long  as 
I  can,  and  hug  the  brown  bank  here." 

So  the  first  little  weed  turned  bright 
scarlet,  and  was  so  pretty  that  every  one 


8  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

who  passed  that  way  turned  to  look  at  it. 
By  and  by  there  came  along  a  most  beau 
tiful  maiden  with  her  lover ;  and  when 
the  lover  saw  the  scarlet  leaves,  he  plucked 
them,  and  set  them  in  his  maiden's  hair, 
and  they  lent  her  a  new  grace.  This  made 
the  little  weed  so  happy  that  he  died  for 
pure  joy. 

The  second  little  weed  lived  on,  and 
turned  slowly  brown,  like  the  bank. 

"  He  was  a  fool ! "  he  said,  speaking  of 
his  companion.  "  He  put  all  his  strength 
into  turning  red,  and  so  he  died." 

"  I  was  proud  of  him ! "  said  the  brown 
bank.  "  He  did  what  he  could,  and  people 
observed  him." 

"Yes,  but  I  am  alive,  and  stay  with 
you  ! "  said  the  weed. 

"  Much  I  care  ! "  said  the  brown  bank. 


THE   WHEAT-FIELD 


OME  children  were  set 
to  reap  in  a  wheat-field. 
The  wheat  was  yellow 
as  gold,  the  sun  shone 
gloriously,  and  the  but 
terflies  flew  hither  and 
thither.  Some  of  the 
children  worked  better,  and  some  worse ; 
but  there  was  one  who  ran  here  and  there 
after  the  butterflies  that  fluttered  about 
his  head,  and  sang  as  he  ran. 

By  and  by  evening  came,  and  the  Angel 
of  the  wheat-field  called  to  the  children 
and  said,  "  Come  now  to  the  gate,  and 
bring  your  sheaves  with  you." 

So  the  children  came,  bringing  their 
sheaves.  Some  had  great  piles,  laid  close 
and  even,  so  that  they  might  carry  more ; 
some  had  theirs  laid  large  and  loose,  so 
that  they  looked  more  than  they  were ; 
but  one,  the  child  that  had  run  to  and  fro 
after  the  butterflies,  came  empty-handed. 


10  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

The  Angel  said  to  this  child,  "  Where 
are  your  sheaves  ? " 

The  child  hung  his  head.  "  I  do  not 
know ! "  he  said.  "  I  had  some,  but  I 
have  lost  them,  I  know  not  how." 

"  None  enter  here  without  sheaves,"  said 
the  Angel. 

"  I  know  that,"  said  the  child.  "  But 
I  thought  I  would  like  to  see  the  place 
where  the  others  were  going ;  besides,  they 
would  not  let  me  leave  them." 

Then  all  the  other  children  cried  out 
together.  One  said,  "  Dear  Angel,  let  him 
in !  In  the  morning  I  was  sick,  and  this 
child  came  and  played  with  me,  and 
showed  me  the  butterflies,  and  I  forgot 
my  pain.  Also,  he  gave  me  one  of  his 
sheaves,  and  I  would  give  it  to  him  again, 
but  I  cannot  tell  it  now  from  my  own." 

Another  said,  "  Dear  Angel,  let  him  in  ! 
At  noon  the  sun  beat  on  my  head  so 
fiercely  that  I  fainted  and  fell  down  like 
one  dead  ;  and  this  child  came  running  by, 
and  when  he  saw  me  he  brought  water 
to  revive  me,  and  then  he  showed  me  the 
butterflies,  and  was  so  glad  and  merry 
that  my  strength  returned ;  to  me  also  he 


THE   WHEAT-FIELD  11 

gave  one  of  his  sheaves,  and  I  would  give 
it  to  him  again,  but  it  is  so  like  my  own 
that  I  cannot  tell  it." 

And  a  third  said,  "  Just  now,  as  evening 
was  coming,  I  was  weary  and  sad,  and 
had  so  few  sheaves  that  it  seemed  hardly 
worth  my  while  to  go  on  working ;  but 
this  child  comforted  me,  and  showed  me 
the  butterflies,  and  gave  me  of  his  sheaves. 
L.ook !  it  may  be  that  this  was  his ;  and 
yet  I  cannot  tell,  it  is  so  like  my  own." 

And  all  the  children  said,  "  We  also  had 
sheaves  of  him,  dear  Angel ;  let  him  in, 
we  pray  you  !  " 

The  Angel  smiled,  and  reached  his  hand 
inside  the  gate  and  brought  out  a  pile 
of  sheaves  ;  it  was  not  large,  but  the  glory 
of  the  sun  was  on  it,  so  that  it  seemed  to 
lighten  the  whole  field. 

"  Here  are  his  sheaves  ! "  said  the  Angel. 
"  They  are  known  and  counted,  every  one." 
And  he  said  to  the  child,  "  Lead  the  way 
inl" 


TO-MORROW 


N  the  Land  of  To-morrow, 
near  the  entrance-gate,  two 
newly  arrived  spirits  met, 
and  looked  each  other  in 
the  face.  One  of  them 
was  a  strong  and  beautiful 
spirit,  with  shining  gar 
ments,  and  a  face  full  of  clear  light ;  but 
the  other  was  little  and  pinched  and  gray, 
and  she  trembled  and  cowered  as  she  went. 
"  What  ails  you,"  asked  the  first  spirit, 
"  that  you  cower  thus  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid ! "  answered  the  second. 
"  It  is  all  so  strange  here :  I  have  no 
home,  no  friends,  and  I  am  alone  and 
frightened." 

"  That  is  strange  !  "  said  the  strong  spirit. 
"  I  never  felt  so  at  home  before.  Every 
thing  is  friendly  to  my  eyes ;  the  very 
trees  are  as  if  I  had  known  them  always." 

"  Let  me  hold  your  hand ! "  said  the 
frightened  one.  "  You  seem  so  strong, 


TO-MORROW  13 

and  tread  so  freely,  I  shall  perhaps  not  be 
so  afraid  if  I  am  with  you.  I  was  a  great 
lady  on  the  earth.  I  lived  in  a  fine  house, 
and  had  servants  to  run  and  ride  for  me, 
and  jewels  and  rich  dresses,  and  every 
thing  that  heart  could  desire ;  yet  I  had 
to  leave  them  all  in  haste,  and  come  alone 
to  this  strange  place.  It  is  very  terrible  ! 
was  it  so  with  you  ? " 

"  Nay,"  said  the  other ;  "  I  came  will 
ingly." 

The  frightened  spirit  clung  to  the  other, 
and  peered  in  her  face. 

"  Tell  me  ! "  she  cried.  "  Did  we  ever 
meet  on  the  earth  ?  your  face  is  not  only 
friendly,  it  is  familiar.  It  is  as  if  I  had 
seen  you  often,  yet  none  of  the  noble 
ladies  I  knew  had  such  strength  and  grace. 
Who  were  you,  beautiful  angel  ? " 

"  I  was  your  washerwoman ! "  said  the 
other. 


THE   COMING   OF   THE   KING 

OME  children  were  at  play 
in     their     play-ground     one 
day,   when  a  herald   rode 
through  the  town,  blow 
ing  a  trumpet,  and  crying 
aloud,     "  The  King  !  the 
King  passes  by  this  road 
to-day.     Make  ready  for  the  King ! " 

The  children  stopped  their  play,  and 
looked  at  one  another. 

"  Did  you  hear  that  ? "  they  said.  "  The 
King  is  coming.  He  may  look  over  the 
wall  and  see  our  playground  ;  who  knows  ? 
We  must  put  it  in  order." 

The  playground  was  sadly  dirty,  and 
in  the  corners  were  scraps  of  paper  and 
broken  toys,  for  these  were  careless  chil 
dren.  But  now,  one  brought  a  hoe,  and 
another  a  rake,  and  a  third  ran  to  fetch 
the  wheelbarrow  from  behind  the  garden 
gate.  They  labored  hard,  till  at  length 
all  was  clean  and  tidy. 


THE   COMING   OF  THE   KING        15 

"  Now  it  is  clean !  "  they  said  ;  "  but  we 
must  make  it  pretty,  too,  for  kings  are 
used  to  fine  things ;  maybe  he  would  not 
notice  mere  cleanness,  for  he  may  have  it 
all  the  time." 

Then  one  brought  sweet  rushes  and 
strewed  them  on  the  ground  ;  and  others 
made  garlands  of  oak  leaves  and  pine 
tassels  and  hung  them  on  the  walls  ;  and 
the  littlest  one  pulled  marigold  buds  and 
threw  them  all  about  the  playground,  "  to 
look  like  gold,"  he  said. 

When  all  was  done  the  playground  was 
so  beautiful  that  the  children  stood  and 
looked  at  it,  and  clapped  their  hands  with 
pleasure. 

"  Let  us  keep  it  always  like  this ! "  said 
the  littlest  one ;  and  the  others  cried, 
"  Yes !  yes  !  that  is  what  we  will  do." 

They  waited  all  day  for  the  coming 
of  the  King,  but  he  never  came ;  only, 
towards  sunset,  a  man  with  travel-worn 
clothes,  and  a  kind,  tired  face  passed  along 
the  road,  and  stopped  to  look  over  the 
wall. 

"  What  a  pleasant  place  !  "  said  the  man. 
"  May  I  come  in  and  rest,  dear  children  ? ' 


16 

The  children  brought  him  in  gladly,  and 
set  him  on  the  seat  that  they  had  made 
out  of  an  old  cask.  They  had  covered  it 
with  the  old  red  cloak  to  make  it  look  like 
a  throne,  and  it  made  a  very  good  one. 

"It  is  our  playground ! "  they  said. 
"  We  made  it  pretty  for  the  King,  but  he 
did  not  come,  and  now  we  mean  to  keep 
it  so  for  ourselves." 

"  That  is  good  !  "  said  the  man. 

"  Because  we  think  pretty  and  clean  is 
nicer  than  ugly  and  dirty  ! "  said  another. 

"  That  is  better  !  "  said  the  man. 

"And  for  tired  people  to  rest  in ! "  said 
the  littlest  one. 

"  That  is  best  of  all !  "  said  the  man. 

He  sat  and  rested,  and  looked  at  the 
children  with  such  kind  eyes  that  they 
came  about  him,  and  told  him  all  they 
knew ;  about  the  five  puppies  in  the  barn, 
and  the  thrush's  nest  with  four  blue 
eggs,  and  the  shore  where  the  gold  shells 
grew;  and  the  man  nodded  and  under 
stood  all  about  it. 

By  and  by  he  asked  for  a  cup  of  water, 
and  they  brought  it  to  him  in  the  best 
cup,  with  the  gold  sprigs  on  it :  then  he 


THE  COMING   OF  THE   KING        17 

thanked  the  children,  and  rose  and  went 
on  his  way ;  but  before  he  went  he  laid 
his  hand  on  their  heads  for  a  moment, 
and  the  touch  went  warm  to  their  hearts. 

The  children  stood  by  the  wall  and 
watched  the  man  as  he  went  slowly  along. 
The  sun  was  setting,  and  the  light  fell  in 
long  slanting  rays  across  the  road. 

"  He  looks  so  tired ! "  said  one  of  the 
children. 

"  But  he  was  so  kind  ! "  said  another. 

"See!"  said  the  littlest  one.  "How 
the  sun  shines  on  his  hair !  it  looks  like 
a  crown  of  gold." 


THE   TREE   IN   THE   CITY 

N  a  narrow  space  between  two 
buildings,  in  a  crowded  city,  grew 
a  tree.  There  was  no  other  green 
thing  near  it.  On  one  side  its 
leaves  touched  the  blank  wall  of  a 
warehouse,  on  the  other  they  swept 
the  window  of  a  poor  tenement ; 
the  space  under  it  was  paved  up  to  its 
very  roots  ;  but  still  it  lived,  and  put  forth 
its  fresh  leaves  every  spring. 

"  Why  do  you  take  so  much  trouble  ? " 
asked  the  old  rat  who  lived  under  the 
roots.  "  I  would  not,  if  I  were  in  your 
place." 

"  It  is  my  business  ! "  said  the  tree.  "  It 
is  the  thing  I  have  to  do.  All  my  family 
do  it." 

"  But  there  is  no  one  to  see  you,"  said 
the  rat,  "  except  me,  and  I  do  not  care." 
"  That  is  not  my  affair  ! "  said  the  tree. 
But  the  sick  girl  in  the  tenement  said, 
"  Mother  !   mother  dear  1   the  tree  outside 


THE   TREE   IN   THE   CITY  19 

the  window  is  putting  out  little  new  leaves, 
soft  and  green.  It  is  spring,  even  here 
in  the  city.  I  shall  grow  better  now,  I 
am  sure." 

"  Thank  God  1 "  said  the  mother. 

Summer  came.  The  leaves  of  the  tree 
were  large  and  long,  and  the  branches 
were  heavy  with  them  ;  they  quivered  and 
rustled  with  every  breath  of  wind. 

"  It  does  really  seem  a  pity  for  you  to 
exert  yourself  so  1 "  said  the  old  rat  who 
lived  under  the  roots.  "If  you  caught 
beetles,  now,  or  did  anything  useful,  I 
should  feel  better  about  it.  Wliy  do  you 
take  all  this  trouble  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  thing  I  have  to  do  1 "  said  the 
tree.  "  All  my  family  do  it." 

"But  if  anybody  cared,"  said  the  rat, 
"it  would  be  different." 

"  That  is  not  my  affair  I "  said  the  tree. 

But  the  sick  girl  in  the  tenement  said, 
"  Mother,  the  heat  is  stifling.  I  could  not 
bear  it  if  it  were  not  for  the  shade  of  this 
dear  tree.  The  wind  rustles  the  leaves, 
and  I  seem  to  hear  coolness  in  the  sound  ; 
it  tells  me  that  somewhere  in  the  world 
there  are  whole  forests  of  trees,  rustling 


20  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

and  waving,  and  green  fields  with  flowers 
in  them,  and  streams  of  cool  water  flowing 
and  falling.  The  tree  makes  summer  for 
me." 

"  Thank  God  ! "  said  the  mother. 

By  and  by  it  was  autumn.  The  air 
grew  thin  and  chill ;  the  leaves  of  the  tree 
turned  yellow,  and  one  by  one  dropped 
off  and  fell  to  the  ground.  The  paved 
court  was  covered  with  them,  and  they 
shone  like  gold. 

"  Now  you  see ! "  said  the  old  rat  who 
lived  under  the  roots.  "  Now  it  is  over, 
and  what  have  you  for  your  pains  ? " 

"  I  have  done  the  thing  I  had  to  do ; " 
said  the  tree.  "  That  is  enough  for  me." 

"  Poor-spirited  vegetable  ! "  said  the  rat. 
"  If  you  had  borne  acorns  for  people  to 
gnaw,  it  would  at  least  have  been  some 
thing,  but  you  have  nothing  to  show  for 
your  trouble  save  dead  leaves  and  empty 
branches." 

"  That  is  not  my  affair  ! "  said  the  tree. 

But  the  sick  girl  in  the  tenement  said, 
"  Mother  1  mother  dear,  I  am  tired.  Sum 
mer  is  over.  Look !  the  leaves  have  fallen 
from  my  dear  tree,  and  the  bare  branches 


THE  TREE   IN  THE   CITY  21 

tap  against  the  window  like  summoning 
hands.  The  tree  is  going  to  sleep  for  the 
winter,  and  I  think  that  I  shall  sleep  too. 
Mother  dear,  when  I  am  asleep,  gather 
the  leaves  from  the  ground  and  strew  them 
over  me,  for  they  have  been  my  joy." 

And  she  turned  her  face  to  the  wall  and 
slept. 

"  Thank  God  1"  said  the  mother. 


THE   HOUSE   OF   LOVE 


MAN  and  a  woman  were 
walking  together  along 
the  way,  when  they 
met  a  child,  who  was 
so  beautiful  that  they 
stopped  to  speak  to  him. 
"  Who  are  you,  lovely 
child?"  they  asked.  "What  is  your 
name,  and  whence  do  you  come  ? " 

"  My  name  is  Love,"  said  the  child. 
"  I  live  hard  by  here,  in  my  house.  Come 
and  see  it,  and  if  it  pleases  you,  you  shall 
live  in  it  with  me." 

So  presently  they  came  to  the  house; 
and  the  child  took  them  by  the  hands  and 
drew  them  in. 

"  Look ! "  he  said.  "  See  what  a  pleasant 
house  this  is  of  mine !  Feel  the  carpet, 
how  soft  it  is  under  our  feet !  the  cushions 
are  soft  too.  Here  are  my  flowers  in  the 
window ;  did  you  ever  smell  sweeter  ones  ? 


THE   HOUSE  OF  LOVE  23 

the  whole  house  is  like  a  garden  with  them. 
And  feel  the  sun,  how  it  comes  pouring 
in,  warming  one  through  and  through !  do 
you  like  my  house  ?  will  you  stay  with 
me?" 

And  the  man  and  woman  joined  hands, 
and  said,  "  We  will  stay." 

For  a  time  all  went  well.  The  child 
Love  sang  the  sweetest  songs,  and  flitted 
from  room  to  room ;  and  wherever  he 
came  the  sun  shone  brighter. 

But  one  day  the  man  said :  "  I  begin 
to  see  things  in  this  house  that  I  did  not 
notice  at  first.  This  child  has  deceived 
us ;  now  that  I  look  closely,  it  seems  a 
poor  place.  This  carpet  that  he  boasted 
of,  for  example,  is  nothing  but  a  rag- 
carpet  ;  the  curtains  are  poor  and  patched ; 
and  it  is  the  same  with  everything." 

"  You  are  right ! "  said  the  woman. 
"  How  strange  that  we  did  not  notice  this 
at  first ! " 

They  called  the  child  Love,  and  said  to 
him :  "  You  have  deceived  us.  You  are 
a  false  child,  and  this  house  of  yours  is 
nothing  but  a  sham.  Shame  on  you,  for 
cheating  folk  1 " 


24  THE   GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

"  Nay  ! "  said  Love.    "  I  meant  no  harm." 

"These  carpets  and  cushions,"  said  the 
man  and  woman,  "are  nought  but  rags 
and  patches,  ugly  and  faded." 

"  Nay  ! "  said  Love.  "  I  only  feel  them 
soft." 

"  These  flowers  you  make  such  brag  of 
are  nothing  but  common  wildings,  such 
as  grow  in  every  hedgerow." 

"  Nay  ! "  said  Love.  "  I  only  smell 
them  sweet." 

"  This  very  sunshine  you  boast  of  comes 
filtered  through  poor  flimsy  curtains  and 
discolored  glass." 

"  Nay  1 "  said  Love.  "  I  only  feel  it 
warm." 

"  But,"  said  they  both,  "  look  !  look  with 
your  eyes,  and  see  for  yourself  the  truth  of 
all  we  say." 

As  they  spoke,  they  looked  into  the 
child's  eyes ;  and  lo !  he  was  blind. 

Then  they  cried  with  one  voice,  "  Out 
upon  you,  deceiver !  we  must  stay  in  this 
wretched  place  because  we  have  joined 
hands  and  given  our  word,  but  we  will  no 
longer  have  you  about  us.  Go  ! " 

"  But  it  was  my  house  1 "  said  Love. 


THE   HOUSE   OF  LOVE  25 

"  It  is  yours  no  longer, "  they  said. 
"  Go ! " 

Then  the  child  Love  went  out,  weeping 
bitterly ;  and  the  man  and  woman  turned 
and  faced  each  other  in  the  naked  house. 


THE   GREAT   FEAST 


NCE  the  Play  Angel 
came  into  a  nursery 
where  four  little  chil 
dren  sat  on  the  floor 
with  sad  and  troubled 
faces. 

"  What  is  the  matter, 
dears  ? "  asked  the  Play  Angel. 

"  We  wanted  to  have  a  grand  feast ! " 
said  the  child  whose  nursery  it  was. 

"  Yes,  that  would  be  delightful !  "  said 
the  Play  Angel. 

"  But  there  is  only  one  cooky  !  "  said  the 
child  whose  nursery  it  was. 

"  And  it  is  a  very  small  cooky  ! "  said 
the  child  who  was  a  cousin,  and  therefore 
felt  a  right  to  speak. 

"Not  big  enough  for  myself!"  said  the 
child  whose  nursery  it  was. 

The  other  two  children  said  nothing, 
because  they  were  not  relations  ;  but  they 


THE   GREAT  FEAST  27 

looked  at  the  cooky  with  large  eyes,  and 
their  mouths  went  up  in  the  middle  and 
down  at  the  sides. 

"  Well,"  said  the  Play  Angel,  "  suppose 
we  have  the  feast  just  the  same  !  I  think 
we  can  manage  it." 

She  broke  the  cooky  into  four  pieces, 
and  gave  one  piece  to  the  littlest  child. 

"  See  ! "  she  said.  "  This  is  a  roast 
chicken,  a  Brown  Bantam.  It  is  just  as 
brown  and  crispy  as  it  can  be,  and  there 
is  cranberry  sauce  on  one  side,  and  on  the 
other  a  little  mountain  of  mashed  potato ; 
it  must  be  a  volcano,  it  smokes  so.  Do 
you  see  ? " 

"  Yes ! "  said  the  littlest  one ;  and  his 
mouth  went  down  in  the  middle  and  up 
at  the  corners. 

The  Play  Angel  gave  a  piece  to  the 
next  child. 

"  Here,"  she  said,  "  is  a  little  pie  !  Out 
side,  as  you  see,  it  is  brown  and  crusty, 
with  a  wreath  of  pastry  leaves  round  the 
edge  and  '  For  You '  in  the  middle ;  but 
inside  it  is  all  chicken  and  ham  and  jelly 
and  hard-boiled  eggs.  Did  ever  you  see 
such  a  pie  ? " 


28  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  Never  I  did  1 "  said  the  child. 

"Now  here,"  said  the  Angel  to  the 
third  child,  "  is  a  round  cake.  Look  at 
it !  the  frosting  is  half  an  inch  thick,  with 
candied  rose-leaves  and  angelica  laid  on 
in  true-lovers'  knots ;  and  inside  there  are 
chopped-up  almonds,  and  raisins,  and  great 
slices  of  citron.  It  is  the  prettiest  cake 
I  ever  saw,  and  the  best." 

"  So  it  is  I  did  ! "  said  the  third  child. 

Then  the  Angel  gave  the  last  piece  to 
the  child  whose  nursery  it  was. 

"  My  dear  ! "  she  said.  "  Just  look  ! 
Here  is  an  ice-cream  rabbit.  He  is 
snow-white  outside,  with  eyes  of  red 
barley  sugar ;  see  his  ears,  and  his  little 
snubby  tail !  but  inside,  I  think  you  will 
find  him  pink.  Now,  when  I  clap  my 
hands  and  count  one,  two,  three,  you 
must  eat  the  feast  all  up.  One  —  two  — 
three ! " 

So  the  children  ate  the  feast  all  up. 

"  There  ! "  said  the  Angel.  "  Did  ever 
you  see  such  a  grand  feast  ? " 

"  No,  never  we  did  ! "  said  all  the  four 
children  together. 

"  And  there  are  some  crumbs  left  over," 


THE   GREAT   FEAST  29 

said  the  Angel.  "  Come,  and  we  will  give 
them  to  the  brother  birds  !  " 

"  But  you  did  n't  have  any  !  "  said  the 
child  whose  nursery  it  was. 

"Oh,  yes!"  said  the  Angel.  "I  had 
it  all ! " 


THE   DESERT 


NCE  a  child  was  sent  on 
a  long  journey,  and  mid 
way  in  the  journey  he 
came  to  a  desert.  It  was 
a  dreadful  place.  The 
sand  was  like  grains  of 
fire  about  his  feet ;  there 
was  no  shade,  and  the  sun  beat  down  upon 
his  head;  but  the  worst  of  all  was  that 
there  was  no  water. 

"  There  must  be  water,"  said  the  child, 
"or  I  and  all  that  come  after  me  must 
perish." 

So  he  dug  in  the  burning  sand,  down 
and  down,  with  hands  that  bled  and 
smarted,  for  he  had  no  tools;  and  at 
length  he  found  water.  Bubbling  up 
through  the  sand  it  came,  and  the  child's 
heart  rejoiced ;  but  when  he  tasted  the 
water,  it  was  bitter  as  gall. 


THE   DESERT  81 

"  Bitter  or  sweet,  it  still  is  water ! "  said 
the  child ;  and  he  drank,  and  went  on  his 
way. 

Again  and  again,  as  he  toiled  across  the 
desert,  he  was  overcome  by  thirst,  and 
stopped  and  dug  in  the  sand  with  his  bare 
hands,  and  found  water,  but  every  time 
it  was  bitter. 

At  last  he  came  to  the  end  of  the 
desert,  and  lay  down  to  rest,  stretching 
himself  at  length  in  the  cool  grass,  and 
looking  back  along  the  way  he  had  come. 
And  as  he  looked,  he  saw  another  child 
coming  across  the  desert,  not  slowly  and 
painfully,  as  he  had  come,  but  tripping 
joyously  along,  and  singing  as  he  came. 
The  first  child  wondered  much  at  this, 
and  when  the  other  was  near  enough  he 
called  to  him,  and  said,  "  Have  you  too 
come  across  the  desert  ? " 

"  Yes  !  "  said  the  other. 

"  But  how  is  it  that  you  came  so 
quickly  ?  "  asked  the  first. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  other,  "  it  was  not  nearly 
so  bad  as  people  would  make  it  out. 
Every  little  way  there  were  springs  of 
water  bubbling  up ;  moreover,  between 


32  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

the  springs  ran  a  narrow  path  of  green 
grass,  new-sprung,  and  soft  and  cool  under 
the  feet." 

"  But  was  not  the  water  bitter  ?  "  asked 
the  first  child. 

"  Never  in  my  life,"  answered  the  other, 
"  have  I  tasted  sweeter  water." 


THE   WALLED    GARDEN 

NCE,  on  a  winter  day,  a 
man  walked  to  and  fro 
under  his  garden  wall. 
"  What  a  glorious  day 
this  is  ! "  he  said  to  him 
self.  "  The  snow  sparkles 
in  the  sun  like  pearl  and 
diamond,  the  air  is  frosty  yet  genial,  the 
whole  world  is  full  of  life  and  vigor.  It 
is  good  to  be  alive  on  such  a  day." 

Presently  he  saw  his  brother  passing  by 
on  the  other  side  of  the  road.  He  looked 
blue  with  cold  ;  his  teeth  chattered,  and 
his  head  was  drawn  down  between  his 
shoulders  as  if  in  the  face  of  something 
bitter. 

When  the  man  saw  him,  he  cried  out, 
"  How  now,  brother  ?  why  do  you  look 
so  ill  at  ease  on  a  day  like  this,  a  day  that 
fills  one  with  the  very  wine  of  life  ? " 

"  I  look  ill  because  I  am  so ! "  replied 
the  other.  •'  The  cold  plucks  at  my  very 


34  THE  GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

heart,  and  the  north  wind  pinches  the 
marrow  in  my  bones. ' ' 

"Wind!"  said  the  first  man.  "1  feel 
no  wind." 

The  other  threw  him  a  glance.  "No!" 
he  said.  "  If  I  were  in  a  walled  garden 
that  took  the  sun,  maybe  I  should  not  feel 
it  either. ' ' 


THE  PIG  BROTHER 

HERE  was  once  a  child 
who  was  untidy.  He 
left  his  books  on  the 
floor,  and  his  muddy 
shoes  on  the  table ; 
he  put  his  fingers  in 
the  jam-pots,  and  spilled 
ink  on  his  best  pina 
fore  ;  there  was  really  no  end  to  his  un 
tidiness. 

One  day  the  Tidy  Angel  came  into  his 
nursery. 

"  This  will  never  do ! "  said  the  Angel. 
"  This  is  really  shocking.  You  must  go 
out  and  stay  with  your  brother  while  I 
set  things  to  rights  here." 

"  I  have  no  brother  ! "  said  the  child. 
"  Yes,  you  have  ! "  said  the  Angel.    "  You 
may  not  know  him,  but  he  will  know  you. 
Go  out  in  the  garden  and  watch  for  him, 
and  he  will  soon  come." 


86  THE   GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean ! "  said 
the  child ;  but  he  went  out  into  the  garden 
and  waited. 

Presently  a  squirrel  came  along,  whisk 
ing  his  tail. 

"  Are  you  my  brother  ? "  asked  the  child. 

The  squirrel  looked  him  over  carefully. 

"Well,  I  should  hope  not!"  he  said. 
"  My  fur,  is  neat  and  smooth,  my  nest  is 
handsomely  made,  and  in  perfect  order, 
and  my  young  ones  are  properly  brought 
up.  Why  do  you  insult  me  by  asking 
such  a  question  ? " 

He  whisked  off,  and  the  child  waited. 

Presently  a  wren  came  hopping  by. 

"  Are  you  my  brother  ? "  asked  the  child. 

"  No  indeed  ! "  said  the  wren.  "  What 
impertinence !  You  will  find  no  tidier 
person  than  I  in  the  whole  garden.  Not 
a  feather  is  out  of  place,  and  my  eggs 
are  the  wonder  of  all  for  smoothness  and 
beauty.  Brother,  indeed ! "  He  hopped 
off,  ruffling  his  feathers,  and  the  child 
waited. 

By  and  by  a  large  Tommy  Cat  came 
along. 

"  Are  you  my  brother  ? "  asked  the  child. 


THE   PIG   BROTHER  37 

"  Go  and  look  at  yourself  in  the  glass," 
said  the  Tommy  Cat  haughtily,  "  and  you 
will  have  your  answer.  I  have  been  wash 
ing  myself  in  the  sun  all  the  morning, 
while  it  is  clear  that  no  water  has  come 
near  you  for  a  long  time.  There  are  no 
such  creatures  as  you  in  my  family,  I  am 
humbly  thankful  to  say." 

He  walked  on,  waving  his  tail,  and  the 
child  waited. 

Presently  a  pig  came  trotting  along. 

The  child  did  not  wish  to  ask  the  pig 
if  he  were  his  brother,  but  the  pig  did  not 
wait  to  be  asked. 

"  Hallo,  brother  !  "  he  grunted. 

"  I  am  not  your  brother  1 "  said  the  child. 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  are  ! "  said  the  pig.  "  I 
confess  I  am  not  proud  of  you,  but  there 
is  no  mistaking  the  members  of  our  family. 
Come  along,  and  have  a  good  roll  in  the 
barnyard !  There  is  some  lovely  black 
mud  .there." 

"  I  don't  like  to  roll  in  mud  ! "  said  the 
child. 

"  Tell  that  to  the  hens ! "  said  the  pig 
brother.  "  Look  at  your  hands,  and  your 
shoes,  and  your  pinafore !  Come  along, 


38 

I  say !  You  may  have  some  of  the  pig 
wash  for  supper,  if  there  is  more  than  I 
want." 

"  I  don't  want  pig- wash  !  "  said  the  child  ; 
and  he  began  to  cry. 

Just  then  the  Tidy  Angel  came  out. 

"  I  have  set  everything  to  rights,"  she 
said,  "  and  so  it  must  stay.  Now,  will 
you  go  with  the  Pig  Brother,  or  will  you 
come  back  with  me,  and  be  a  tidy  child  ? " 

"  With  you,  with  you  ! "  cried  the  child  ; 
and  he  clung  to  the  Angel's  dress. 

The  Pig  Brother  grunted. 

"  Small  loss  ! "  he  said.  "  There  will  be 
all  the  more  wash  for  me  ! "  and  he  trotted 
on. 


THE   HILL 

CANNOT   walk    up    this 
hill,"   said    the    little   boy. 
**  I  cannot  possibly  do   it. 
What  will  become  of  me  ? 
I   must   stay  here  all   my 
life,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill : 
it  is  too  terrible  !  " 
"  That  is  a  pity  !  "  said  his  sister.     "  But 
look,    little   boy !      I    have   found   such  a 
pleasant  thing  to  play.     Take  a  step,  and 
see   how  clear  a  footprint   you   can  make 
in  the  dust.     Look  at  mine !  every  single 
line  in  my  foot  is  printed  clear.     Now,  do 
you  try,  and  see  if  you  can  do  as  well ! " 
The  little  boy  took  a  step. 
"  Mine  is  just  as  clear  !  "  he  said. 
"  Do   you    think   so  ? "    said    his   sister. 
"  See  mine,  again  here  1     I   tread   harder 
than  you,  because  I   am  heavier,  and  so 
the  print  is  deeper.     Try  again." 


40  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  Now  mine  is  just  as  deep ! "  cried  the 
little  boy.  "  See !  here,  and  here,  and  here, 
they  are  just  as  deep  as  they  can  be." 

**  Yes,  that  is  very  well,"  said  his  sister ; 
"  but  now  it  is  my  turn  ;  let  me  try  again, 
and  we  shall  see." 

They  kept  on,  step  by  step,  matching 
their  footprints,  and  laughing  to  see  the 
gray  dust  puff  up  between  their  bare  toes. 

By  and  by  the  little  boy  looked  up. 

"  Why  ! "  he  said,  "  we  are  at  the  top 
of  the  hill!" 

"  Dear  me  ! "  said  his  sister.  "  So  we 
are!" 


ABOUT   ANGELS 

OTHER,"  said 
the  child  ;  "  are 
there  really  an 
gels  ? " 

"The      Good 
Book    says    so," 
said  the  mother. 
"Yes,"   said   the   child;    "I   have   seen 
the  picture.     But  did   you  ever  see  one, 
mother  ? " 

"  I  think  1  have,"  said  the  mother  ;  "  but 
she  was  not  dressed  like  the  picture." 

"  I  am  going  to  find  one  1 "  said  the 
child.  "  I  am  going  to  run  along  the  road, 
miles,  and  miles,  and  miles,  until  I  find  an 
angel." 

"That  will  be  a  good  plan!"  said  the 
mother.  "And  I  will  go  with  you,  for 
you  are  too  little  to  run  far  alone." 

"  I  am  not  little  any  more  1 "  said  the 
child.  "  I  have  trousers  ;  I  am  big." 


42  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  So  you  are  !  "  said  the  mother.  "  I 
forgot.  But  it  is  a  fine  day,  and  I  should 
like  the  walk." 

"  But  you  walk  so  slowly,  with  your 
lame  foot." 

"  I  can  walk  faster  than  you  think ! " 
said  the  mother. 

So  they  started,  the  child  leaping  and 
running,  and  the  mother  stepping  out  so 
bravely  with  her  lame  foot  that  the  child 
soon  forgot  about  it. 

The  child  danced  on  ahead,  and  pres 
ently  he  saw  a  chariot  coming  towards 
him,  drawn  by  prancing  white  horses. 
In  the  chariot  sat  a  splendid  lady  in 
velvet  and  furs,  with  white  plumes  wav 
ing  above  her  dark  hair.  As  she  moved 
in  her  seat,  she  flashed  with  jewels  and 
gold,  but  her  eyes  were  brighter  than  her 
diamonds. 

"  Are  you  an  angel  ? "  asked  the  child, 
running  up  beside  the  chariot. 

The  lady  made  no  reply,  but  stared 
coldly  at  the  child  :  then  she  spoke  a  word 
to  her  coachman,  and  he  flicked  his  whip, 
and  the  chariot  rolled  away  swiftly  in  a 
cloud  of  dust,  and  disappeared. 


ABOUT   ANGELS  43 

The  dust  filled  the  child's  eyes  and 
mouth,  and  made  him  choke  and  sneeze. 
He  gasped  for  breath,  and  rubbed  his 
eyes ;  but  presently  his  mother  came  up, 
and  wiped  away  the  dust  with  her  blue 
gingham  apron. 

"  That  was  not  an  angel ! "  said  the  child. 

"  No,  indeed  !  "  said  the  mother.  "  Noth 
ing  like  one  1 " 

The  child  danced  on  again,  leaping  and 
running  from  side  to  side  of  the  road, 
and  the  mother  followed  as  best  she 
might. 

By  and  by  the  child  met  a  most  beauti 
ful  maiden,  clad  in  a  white  dress.  Her 
eyes  were  like  blue  stars,  and  the  blushes 
came  and  went  in  her  face  like  roses  look 
ing  through  snow. 

"  I  am  sure  you  must  be  an  angel ! "  cried 
the  child. 

The  maiden  blushed  more  sweetly  than 
before.  "  You  dear  little  child  !  "  she  cried. 
"  Some  one  else  said  that,  only  last  even 
ing.  Do  I  really  look  like  an  angel  ?  " 

"  You  are  an  angel ! "  said  the  child. 

The  maiden  took  him  up  in  her  arms 
and  kissed  him,  and  held  him  tenderly. 


44  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  You  are  the  dearest  little  thing  I  ever 
saw ! "  she  said.  "  Tell  me  what  makes 
you  think  so ! "  But  suddenly  her  face 
changed. 

"  Oh  ! "  she  cried.  "  There  he  is,  com 
ing  to  meet  me  !  And  you  have  soiled 
my  white  dress  with  your  dusty  shoes, 
and  pulled  my  hair  all  awry.  Run  away, 
child,  and  go  home  to  your  mother ! " 

She  set  the  child  down,  not  unkindly, 
but  so  hastily  that  he  stumbled  and  fell ; 
but  she  did  not  see  that,  for  she  was  hasten 
ing  forward  to  meet  her  lover,  who  was 
coming  along  the  road.  (Now  if  the 
maiden  had  only  known,  he  thought  her 
twice  as  lovely  with  the  child  in  her  arms  ; 
but  she  did  not  know.) 

The  child  lay  in  the  dusty  road  and 
sobbed,  till  his  mother  came  along  and 
picked  him  up,  arid  wiped  away  the  tears 
with  her  blue  gingham  apron. 

"  I  don't  believe  that  was  an  angel,  after 
all,"  he  said. 

"  No  !  "  said  the  mother.  "  But  she  may 
be  one  some  day.  She  is  young  yet." 

"I  am  tired!"  said  the  child.  "Will 
you  carry  me  home,  mother  ? " 


ABOUT   ANGELS  45 

"  Why,  yes  ! "  said  the  mother.  "  That 
is  what  I  came  for." 

The  child  put  his  arms  round  his  mother's 
neck,  and  she  held  him  tight  and  trudged 
along  the  road,  singing  the  song  he  liked 
best. 

Suddenly  he  looked  up  in  her  face. 

"  Mother,"  he  said ;  "  I  don't  suppose 
you  could  be  an  angel,  could  you  ? " 

"  Oh,  what  a  foolish  child ! "  said  the 
mother.  "Who  ever  heard  of  an  angel 
in  a  blue  gingham  apron  ? "  and  she  went 
on  singing,  and  stepped  out  so  bravely  on 
her  lame  foot  that  no  one  would  ever  have 
known  she  was  lame. 


THE   POINT   OF   VIEW 


WO  angels  sat  together, 
bending  over  a  book 
that  was  written  full 
of  names. 

"  I  see  ! "  said  one. 
"You  have  your  orders, 
and  of  course  it  is 
right ;  but  it  does  seem  such  a  pity.  I 
hoped  that  this  poor  old  woman  might 
be  released  ;  she  suffers  so  much,  and  there 
is  no  cure  for  her  poor  body ;  and  she  is 
tired,  and  longs  to  go.  And  the  girl  is 
so  young  and  pretty  and  gay,  and  looking 
forward  so  joyfully ;  it  makes  me  sad, 
even  though  I  know  sadness  is  wrong." 

"  My  dear,"  said  the  other,  "  I  felt  just 
as  you  did  at  first,  till  I  came  to  look  into 
it.  But  I  found  that  the  old  woman  could 
not  possibly  be  spared  at  present.  Why, 
all  the  soul-light  of  the  neighborhood,  or 
nearly  all,  comes  from  her.  Not  only  her 
own  family,  but  the  doctor,  and  the  wo- 


THE   POINT  OF   VIEW  47 

man  who  nurses  her,  and  all  the  neighbors, 
are  finding  their  way  by  the  light  she  gives, 
and  better  still,  are  getting  light  of  their 
own.  Her  old  husband  used  to  be  a  poor 
creature,  with  his  soul-clothes  all  black 
and  dirty  and  ragged,  just  because  she 
did  everything  for  him ;  and  now  he  must 
do  for  her,  and  really,  you  have  no  idea 
how  much  better  he  is  getting  to  look. 
I  think  he  may  have  a  very  decent 
little  soul  if  she  can  only  stay  a  few  years 
longer." 

"  But  the  girl  ? "  asked  the  first  angel. 

"  Oh,  the  girl !  "  said  the  second.  "  She 
simply  must  not  stay.  She  started  wrong, 
poor  child.  Her  father  is  a  millionnaire, 
you  know,  not  one  of  those  who  prosper, 
but  really  quite  destitute ;  none  of  her 
people  can  do  anything  for  her,  for  they 
are  starving  themselves.  I  examined  her 
soul-robe  yesterday ;  it  is  already  badly 
spotted,  and  some  of  the  spots  will  be  very 
hard  to  get  out.  Now,  if  she  is  taken 
away  at  once,  she  can  make  a  new  start, 
and  have  a  better  chance,  poor  lamb !  and 
meanwhile  the  pain  of  losing  her  will  be 
not  only  medicine,  but  food  and  drink,  to 


48  THE  GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

her  suffering  family.  I  expect  it  to  do 
wonders  for  them,  I  truly  do." 

"  I  see  ! "  said  the  first  angel.  "  How 
little  we  know !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  second ;  "  but  at  least 
we  do  know  something.  We  know  that 
we  only  know  a  little ;  whereas  formerly, 
we  knew  nothing  at  all,  and  thought  we 
knew  everything ;  just  like  these  other 
people,  poor  dears  ! " 

"  Poor  dears  ! "  echoed  the  other  angel, 
thoughtfully. 


THE   OPEN   DOOR 

MAN  who  had  grown  old  in  prison 
sat  and    bewailed   his   imprison 
ment. 

"Alas!"  he  said,  "what  a 
dreadful  place  is  this  in  which 
I  must  stay !  All  around 
me  is  sighing  and  sobbing, 
pale  sorrow  and  black  wickedness. 
The  loathly  walls  hem  me  in  straitly ;  the 
window-bars  are  strong  and  heavy ;  there 
is  no  escape.  Hateful  is  this  prison,  hate 
ful  the  days  I  pass  in  it,  hateful  the  faces 
of  men  and  women,  prisoners  like  myself. 
Oh,  that  the  door  were  open,  and  I  a  free 
man ! " 

By  and  by  came  One  in  white,  who  set 
open  the  door,  and  beckoned  to  the  man, 
and  said  "  Come  forth  !  " 

But  the  man  crouched  down  where  he 
sat,  and  cried  out : 

"  No  !  no  !  I  am  not  ready  to  go  yet. 
After  all,  the  prison  is  tight  and  dry,  and 


50 

not  so  very  cold,  save  in  winter.  Outside 
it  is  strange  and  empty,  and  a  wind  blows,  I 
know  not  whither.  Moreover,  my  fellow- 
prisoners  are  friendly,  even  if  they  are  not 
so  very  virtuous.  Let  me  stay  here,  where 
at  least  I  am  dry  and  warm,  and  safe  from 
the  things  that  are  not  known." 

And  he  turned  to  his  fellow-prisoners, 
and  laid  hold  on  their  clothes,  and  cried, 
"  Save  me !  save  me  from  him  in  white, 
and  from  the  open  door ! " 


THE   DAY 

i 

OME  with  me,"  said  the 

Day,  "  and  let  us  do  things 

together ! " 

"  What  kind  of  things  ? " 

asked  the  man. 

"  Beautiful  things  !  " 
said  the  Day.  "  Your 
friend  is  sick,  and  a  visit  from  you  would 
give  him  infinite  pleasure.  Also,  it  is  long 
since  you  saw  your  sister,  who  is  poor  and 
sorrowful ;  and  on  the  way,  you  might  get 
some  presents  for  her  children,  since  they 
have  no  father  to  buy  them  gifts.  Then, 
suppose  we  take  a  walk  in  those  woods, 
outside  the  city,  where  you  and  your 
brother  used  to  play !  How  long  is  it 
since  you  saw  them  ?  or  saw  your  brother  ? 
He  is  back  again,  I  hear,  and  is  minded 
to  lead  a  new  life.  We  might  go  to  him, 
and  take  him  by  the  hand,  and  go  a  few 
steps  with  him.  Then  we  might  — 


52  THE   GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

"  What  nonsense  is  all  this  ? "  cried  the 
man.  "  These  are  things  that  I  should 
like  well  enough  to  do  some  time,  but  not 
with  you.  I  expect  to  make  ten  thousand 
dollars  with  your  aid ;  sit  down  with  me 
at  the  desk,  instead  of  talking  idly." 

They  sat  down  together,  and  the  hours 
passed. 

By  and  by  it  was  time  for  the  Day  to 
go. 

"  Good-bye  !  "  she  said. 

"  Oh,  good-bye  ! "  said  the  man.  "  Why 
do  you  look  at  me  so  sadly  and  strangely  ? 
I  mean  to  do  all  those  things  that  you 
spoke  of;  I  certainly  mean  to  do  them, 
with  one  of  your  sisters." 

"  I  have  no  more  sisters  ! "  said  the  Day. 

And  passing  through  the  door,  she  met 
the  entering  Night. 


THE   BABY 

MAN  sat  by  the  door 
of  his  house,  smoking 
his  pipe ;  and  his  neigh 
bor  (who  was  an  enemy, 
though  neither  of  them 
knew  it),  sat  beside 
him  and  tempted  him. 
"  You  are  poor  and 
out  of  work,"  said  the  neighbor,  "  and 
here  is  a  way  of  bettering  yourself.  It 
will  be  an  easy  job,  and  will  bring  you 
in  money ;  and  it  is  no  more  dishonest 
than  many  things  that  are  done  every 
day  by  respectable  people.  You  will  be  a 
fool  to  throw  away  such  a  chance  as  this ; 
come  with  me,  and  we  will  settle  the 
matter." 

And  the  man  listened. 
Just  then  his  young  wife  came  to  the 
door  of  the  cottage ;   she  was  warm  and 
rosy,  for  she  had   been  washing,  and   she 
had  the  baby  in  her  arms. 


54  THE   GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

"  Will  you  hold  Baby  for  a  few  minutes, 
John  ? "  she  asked.  "  He  is  fretful,  and  I 
must  hang  out  the  clothes." 

The  man  took  the  baby  and  held  it  on 
his  knees ;  and  as  he  held  it,  the  child 
looked  up  in  his  face  and  spoke. 

"  Flesh  of  your  flesh !  "  said  the  baby  ; 
"  soul  of  your  soul !  what  you  sow  I  shall 
reap,  and  where  you  lead  I  shall  follow. 
Lead  the  way,  father,  for  my  feet  come 
after  yours." 

Then  the  man  said  to  the  neighbor, 
"  Go,  and  come  here  no  more  !  " 

He  rocked  the  baby  on  his  knees,  and 
whistled  a  tune  ;  presently  his  wife  came 
out  and  took  the  child. 

"  Baby,  Baby,"  she  said ;  "  how  could 
you  cry  when  father  was  holding  you  ? 
such  a  father  as  you  have,  too !  mind  you 
grow  up  as  good  a  man  as  he  is  !  " 

And  she  went  into  the  house,  singing 
to  the  child  as  she  went. 


THE  APRON-STRING 

NCE  upon  a  time  a  boy 
played  about  the  house, 
running  by  his  moth 
er's  side ;   and  as  he 
was    very   little,    his 
mother  tied  him  to  the 
string  of  her  apron. 
"Now,"  she  said,  "when  you  stumble, 
you  can  pull   yourself  up  by  the  apron- 
string,  and  so  you  will  not  fall." 

The  boy  did  that,  and  all  went  well, 
and  the  mother  sang  at  her  work. 

By  and  by  the  boy  grew  so  tall  that  his 
head  came  above  the  window-sill ;  and 
looking  through  the  window,  he  saw  far 
away  green  trees  waving,  and  a  flowing 
river  that  flashed  in  the  sun,  and  rising 
above  all,  blue  peaks  of  mountains. 

"  Oh,  mother,"  he  said ;  "  untie  the 
apron-string  and  let  me  go ! " 

But  the  mother  said,  "Not  yet,  my 
child !  only  yesterday  you  stumbled,  and 


56  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

would  have  fallen  but  for  the  apron-string. 
Wait  yet  a  little,  till  you  are  stronger." 

So  the  boy  waited,  and  all  went  as  be 
fore  ;  and  the  mother  sang  at  her  work. 

But  one  day  the  boy  found  the  door  of 
the  house  standing  open,  for  it  was  spring 
weather;  and  he  stood  on  the  threshold 
and  looked  across  the  valley,  and  saw  the 
green  trees  waving,  and  the  swift-flowing 
river  with  the  sun  flashing  on  it,  and  the 
blue  mountains  rising  beyond ;  and  this 
time  he  heard  the  voice  of  the  river  call 
ing,  and  it  said  "  Come  ! " 

Then  the  boy  started  forward,  and  as 
he  started,  the  string  of  the  apron  broke. 

"  Oh !  how  weak  my  mother's  apron- 
string  is ! "  cried  the  boy ;  and  he  ran  out 
into  the  world,  with  the  broken  string 
hanging  beside  him. 

The  mother  gathered  up  the  other  end 
of  the  string  and  put  it  in  her  bosom,  and 
went  about  her  work  again ;  but  she  sang 
no  more. 

The  boy  ran  on  and  on,  rejoicing  in  his 
freedom,  and  in  the  fresh  air  and  the 
morning  sun.  He  crossed  the  valley,  and 
began  to  climb  the  foothills  among  which 


THE   APRON-STRING  57 

the  river  flowed  swiftly,  among  rocks  and 
cliffs.  Now  it  was  easy  climbing,  and 
again  it  was  steep  and  craggy,  but  always 
he  looked  upward  at  the  blue  peaks  be 
yond,  and  always  the  voice  of  the  river 
was  in  his  ears,  saying  "  Come  ! " 

By  and  by  he  came  to  the  brink  of  a 
precipice,  over  which  the  river  dashed  in 
a  cataract,  foaming  and  flashing,  and  send 
ing  up  clouds  of  silver  spray.  The  spray 
filled  his  eyes,  so  that  he  did  not  see  his 
footing  clearly ;  he  grew  dizzy,  stumbled, 
and  fell.  But  as  he  fell,  something  about 
him  caught  on  a  point  of  rock  at  the 
precipice-edge,  and  held  him,  so  that  he 
hung  dangling  over  the  abyss ;  and  when 
he  put  up  his  hand  to  see  what  held  him, 
he  found  that  it  was  the  broken  string  of 
the  apron,  which  still  hung  by  his  side. 

"  Oh !  how  strong  my  mother's  apron- 
string  is ! "  said  the  boy :  and  he  drew 
himself  up  by  it,  and  stood  firm  on  his 
feet,  and  went  on  climbing  toward  the 
blue  peaks  of  the  mountains. 


THE   SHADOW 


N  Angel  heard  a  child 
crying  one  day,  and 
came  to  see  what 
ailed  it.  He  found 
the  little  one  sitting 
on  the  ground,  with 
the  sun  at  its  back 
(for  the  day  was  young),  looking  at  its 
own  shadow,  which  lay  on  the  ground 
before  it,  and  weeping  bitterly. 

"  What  ails  you,  little  one  ? "  asked  the 
Angel. 

"  The  world  is  so  dark  ! "  said  the  child. 
"  See,  it  is  all  dusky  gray,  and  there  is  no 
beauty  in  it.  Why  must  I  stay  in  this 
sad,  gray  world  ? " 

"  Do  you  not  hear  the  birds  singing,  and 
the  other  children  calling  at  their  play?" 
asked  the  Angel. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  child  ;  "  I  hear  them, 
but  I  do  not  know  where  they  are.  I 
cannot  see  them,  I  see  only  the  shadow. 


THE   SHADOW  59 

Moreover,  if  they  saw  it,  they  would  not 
sing  and  call,  but  would  weep  as  I  do." 

The  Angel  lifted  the  child,  and  set  it  on 
its  feet,  with  its  face  to  the  early  sun. 

"  Look  ! "  said  the  Angel. 

The  child  brushed  away  the  tears  from 
its  eyes  and  looked.  Before  them  lay  the 
fields  all  green  and  gold,  shining  with 
dewdrops,  and  the  other  children  were 
running  to  and  fro,  laughing  and  shout 
ing,  and  crowning  one  another  with 
blossoms. 

"  Why,  there  are  the  children  !  "  said  the 
little  one. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Angel ;  "  there  they 
are." 

"  And  the  sun  is  shining ! "  cried  the 
child. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Angel ;  "  it  was  shining 
all  the  time." 

"  And  the  shadow  is  gone  ! " 

"  Oh,  no ! "  said  the  Angel ;  "  the  shadow 
is  behind  you,  where  it  belongs.  Run, 
now,  and  gather  flowers  for  the  littlest 
one,  who  sits  in  the  grass  there  1 " 


THE   PROMINENT   MAN 

NCE  a  prominent  man 
was  hurrying  to  his 
business ;  and  as  he 
hurried  along  the 
street,  he  slipped  on 
a  piece  of  ice,  and  fell 
and  broke  his  leg.  He 
was  carried  home  on  a  stretcher,  and  lay 
on  his  bed  in  pain  of  body  and  distress 
of  mind. 

"  What  will  become  of  everything  ? "  he 
cried.  "  By  now  I  should  have  been  at 
the  committee-meeting,  where  they  can 
do  nothing  without  me.  This  afternoon 
there  is  a  directors'  meeting,  where  I  was 
to  be  chairman,  and  this  evening  I  am 
engaged  to  lecture  on  a  subject  of  vital 
importance.  This  means  disaster  to  the 
State,  and  it  may  be  to  the  whole  country. 
It  is  terrible!" 

Just  then  came  in  the  Angel-who-at- 
tends-to-things. 


THE   PROMINENT   MAN  61 

"  How  are  you  feeling  ? "  asked  the 
Angel. 

"  Oh,  I  am  in  a  dreadful  condition ! " 
said  the  man.  "  I  slipped  on  a  piece  of 
ice  this  morning,  and  broke  my  leg." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Angel ;  "  I  saw  you 
fall." 

"  But,"  said  the  man,  "  my  pain,  which 
by  the  way  is  very  severe "  (for  he  did 
not  think  the  Angel  looked  sympathetic 
enough),  "  is  the  smallest  part  of  it.  I 
should  by  now  be  at  a  committee-meet 
ing,  where  they  can  do  nothing  without 
me.  This  afternoon  there  is  a  directors' 
meeting,  where  I  was  to  be  chairman ;  and 
this  evening  I  was  engaged  to  lecture  on 
a  subject  of  vital  interest.  This  means 
disaster  to  the  State,  and  it  may  be  to  the 
whole  country."  And  he  groaned  aloud. 

"  Oh,  well,"  said  the  Angel,  "  I  would 
not  worry  about  all  that,  if  I  were  you." 

"  Not  worry  !  "  said  the  prominent  man. 

"  No,"  said  the  Angel.  "  The  truth  is, 
I  put  that  piece  of  ice  there  myself.  I 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  you." 

"  Get  rid  of  -  '  said  the  prominent 
man ;  and  the  rest  was  gasps. 


62  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Angel.  "  You  see,  I 
did  n't  want  you  at  the  committee-meet 
ing.  There  is  a  new  man  ready  to  come 
forward  who  knows  much  more  than  you, 
and  if  you  had  been  there  he  would  have 
been  too  modest  to  speak.  Then,  the 
directors  are  going  to  take  action  this 
afternoon  on  that  important  case,  and  if 
you  were  there  they  would  vote  the  wrong 
way.  As  to  the  lecture,  it  would  do  more 
harm  than  good  just  now ;  but  when  the 
crisis  is  passed,  you  may  deliver  it  with 
out  doing  any  serious  damage.  So  you 
see ! " 

"  Good  heavens  ! "  cried  the  prominent 
man.  "  Am  I  awake,  or  is  this  a  dream  ? " 

"  More  or  less,"  said  the  Angel.  "  It  is 
what  you  call  Life." 

"  But  —  but  —  but  —  '  cried  the  man, 
"  this  is  terrible !  You  don't  know  any 
thing  about  business." 

"  My  dear  soul,"  said  the  Angel,  "  what 
do  you  take  me  for  ? "  and  he  went  away, 
and  told  the  nurse  to  give  her  patient  a 
composing  draught. 


GOOD    ADVICE 


YOUNG  man  came 
to  an  old  one,  and 
asked  his  advice  on  a 
certain  matter. 

"You  are  my 
friend,"  he  said,  "  and 
my  father's  friend. 
I  think  more  of  your  judgment  than  of 
almost  any  one  else's,  and  I  shall  be  largely 
guided  by  it  This  is  a  matter  which 
affects  my  whole  life, 
thing,  or  shall  I  not  ? 
honest  advice." 

The   old  man  gave  it 
man   thanked   him    and 
he  went  he  shook  his  head  and  sighed. 

"  What  a  pity  !  "  he  said.  "  His  judg 
ment,  which  used  to  be  so  clear  and  vigor 
ous,  is  now  timorous  and  one-sided.  He 
is  not  the  man  he  used  to  be ;  his  mind 
is  failing.  What  a  pity  ! " 

And  he  went  and  did  the  thing. 


Shall    I 
Give 


me 


do   this 
your 


;   and  the  young 
went   away.     As 


MAN  sat  by  the  coffin  of 
the  one  who  had  been  near 
est  to  him,  in  black  and 
bitter  care.  And  as  he  sat, 
he  saw  passing  beyond  the 
coffin  a  troop  of  bright  and 
lovely  shapes,  with  clear 
eyes  and  faces  full  of  rosy  light. 

"  Who  are  you,  fair  creatures  ? "  asked 
the  man.  And  they  answered : 

"  We  are  the  words  you  might  have 
spoken  to  her." 

"  Oh,  stay  with  me ! "  cried  the  man. 
"Your  sweet  looks  are  a  knife  in  my 
heart,  yet  still  I  would  keep  you,  for  she 
is  cold  and  deaf,  and  I  am  alone." 

But  they  answered :  "  Nay  ;  we  cannot 
stay,  for  we  have  no  being,  but  are  only 
a  light  that  never  shone." 

And  they  passed  on  and  were  gone. 
And  still  the  man  sat  in  black  and  bitter 
care. 


FOR   REMEMBRANCE  65 

And  as  he  sat  he  saw  rising  up  between 
him  and  the  coffin  a  band  of  pale  and  ter 
rible  forms,  with  bloodless  lips  and  hollow 
eyes  of  fire. 

The  man  shuddered. 

"  What  are  you,  dreadful  shapes  ? "  he 
asked ;  and  they  answered  : 

"  We  are  the  words  she  heard." 

Then  the  man  cried  aloud  in  anguish : 
"  Depart  from  me,  and  leave  me  with 
my  dead !  Better  solitude  than  such 
company." 

But  they,  sitting  down  in  silence  round 
him,  fixed  their  eyes  upon  him ;  and  gaz 
ing  into  the  hollow  eyes  of  fire,  the  man 
saw  it  was  his  own  soul  that  looked  at 
him. 


THE   SAILOR   MAN 

NCE  upon  a  time  two  chil 
dren  came  to  the  house 
of   a    sailor    man,    who 
lived    beside    the    salt 
sea;  and  they  found  the 
sailor  man  sitting  in  his 
doorway  knotting  ropes. 
"  How   do   you   do  ? "    asked   the   sailor 
man. 

"  We  are  very  well,  thank  you,"  said  the 
children,  who  had  learned  manners,  "  and 
we  hope  you  are  the  same.  We  heard 
that  you  had  a  boat,  and  we  thought  that 
perhaps  you  would  take  us  out  in  her,  and 
teach  us  how  to  sail,  for  that  is  what  we 
wish  most  to  know." 

"  All  in  good  time,"  said  the  sailor  man. 
"  I  am  busy  now,  but  by  and  by,  when  my 
work  is  done,  I  may  perhaps  take  one  of 
you  if  you  are  ready  to  learn.  Meantime 
here  are  some  ropes  that  need  knotting; 
you  might  be  doing  that,  since  it  has  to 


THE   SAILOR   MAN  67 

be  done."  And  he  showed  them  how  the 
knots  should  be  tied,  and  went  away  and 
left  them. 

When  he  was  gone  the  first  child  ran 
to  the  window  and  looked  out. 

"  There  is  the  sea,"  he  said.  "  The 
waves  come  up  on  the  beach,  almost 
to  the  door  of  the  house.  They  run 
up  all  white,  like  prancing  horses,  and 
then  they  go  dragging  back.  Come  and 
look ! " 

"  I  cannot,"  said  the  second  child.  "  I 
am  tying  a  knot." 

"  Oh  ! "  cried  the  first  child,  "  I  see  the 
boat.  She  is  dancing  like  a  lady  at  a 
ball ;  I  never  saw  such  a  beauty.  Come 
and  look ! " 

"  I  cannot,"  said  the  second  child.  "  I 
am  tying  a  knot." 

"  I  shall  have  a  delightful  sail  in  that 
boat,"  said  the  first  child.  "  I  expect  that 
the  sailor  man  will  take  me,  because  I  am 
the  eldest  and  I  know  more  about  it. 
There  was  no  need  of  my  watching  when 
he  showed  you  the  knots,  because  I  knew 
how  already." 

Just  then  the  sailor  man  came  in. 


68  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  my  work  is  over. 
What  have  you  been  doing  in  the 
meantime  ? " 

"  I  have  been  looking  at  the  boat,"  said 
the  first  child.  "  What  a  beauty  she  is ! 
I  shall  have  the  best  time  in  her  that  ever 
I  had  in  my  life." 

"  I  have  been  tying  knots,"  said  the 
second  child. 

"  Come,  then,"  said  the  sailor  man,  and 
he  held  out  his  hand  to  the  second  child. 
"  I  will  take  you  out  in  the  boat,  and  teach 
you  to  sail  her." 

"  But  I  am  the  eldest,"  cried  the  first 
child,  "  and  I  know  a  great  deal  more 
than  she  does." 

"  That  may  be,"  said  the  sailor  man ; 
"  but  a  person  must  learn  to  tie  a  knot 
before  he  can  learn  to  sail  a  boat." 

"  But  I  have  learned  to  tie  a  knot,"  cried 
the  child.  "  I  know  all  about  it ! " 

"  How  can  I  tell  that  ?  "  asked  the  sailor 
man. 


THE   ROAD 

NCE    upon  a  time  a  boy 
was  going  on  a  journey 
to  the  Great  City ;  and 
his  family  gathered   at 
the    door    to    bid    him 
good-bye. 

Be    sure    you    take    the 
right   road,"   said   his   mother. 

"  No  fear,"  said  his  sister.  "  He  is  sure 
to  do  that." 

"  There  is  but  one  good  road,"  said  the 
old  grandfather,  who  sat  in  the  corner; 
"  that  is  the  straight  road  that  runs  up 
the  hill." 

The  boy  laughed,  and  kissed  the  grand 
father  on  the  forehead. 

"  You  are  a  dear  old  grandfather,"  he 
said,  "  but  you  forget  more  than  you  re 
member.  The  road  that  I  shall  take  is 
the  one  that  goes  through  the  flowering 
fields  and  beside  the  cool  river." 


70  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

He  bade  them  all  farewell,  and  went 
forth  with  a  light  heart,  for  it  was  morn 
ing,  and  the  sun  was  shining  clear.  He 
took  his  way  through  the  flowering  fields, 
and  it  was  beautiful  there ;  the  air  was  full 
of  bird-songs,  and  the  grass  glittered  with 
blossoms  like  a  king's  treasure-chamber; 
red  and  blue  and  purple  they  were,  and 
the  boy  gathered  one,  and  threw  it  away 
to  gather  another,  and  sang  as  he  went. 

After  a  while  he  felt  the  ground  wet  be 
neath  him,  and  soft ;  the  grass  grew  long, 
climbing  about  his  knees  and  tangling  his 
feet.  At  every  step  he  sank  deeper  in  mud 
and  slime,  and  black  bog- water  bubbled  up 
around  him.  He  perceived  that  he  was 
in  a  morass,  bottomless  and  treacherous  ; 
moreover,  when  he  looked  about  him,  the 
morass  stretched  far  ahead  and  on  every 
side,  and  there  was  no  path  through  it. 

"  It  is  strange,"  said  the  boy,  "  that  I 
did  not  see  this  morass  before.  I  must 
go  back,  or  I  shall  lose  my  way,  and  per 
chance  my  life." 

With  care  and  pain  he  dragged  his  feet 
out  of  the  slough,  and  made  his  way  back 
to  firm  land.  When  he  turned  his  face  in 


THE   ROAD  TT 

the  opposite  direction,  he  saw  the  great  hill 
rising  before  him,  and  over  the  hill  a  road 
ran  straight  among  rocks  and  brambles. 

"  That  looks  like  a  hard  road,"  said  the 
boy,  "  but  it  must  be  a  good  one,  for  it  is 
straight  and  dry.  I  will  take  that  next 
time." 

At  nightfall  the  boy  reached  his  home, 
weary  and  bedraggled. 

"  That  was  a  wretched  road  I  took  this 
morning,"  he  said.  "  To-morrow  I  shall 
start  again,  and  take  the  straight  road  that 
runs  over  the  hill,  for  that  is  the  only  good 
one." 

"  Is  it.  truly  ? "  said  the  old  grandfather, 
who  sat  in  the  corner.  "  That  is  good  to 
know." 

The  boy  laughed,  and  kissed  him  on  the 
forehead. 

"  You  are  a  dear  old  grandfather,''  he 
said,  "  but  you  forget  more  than  you 
remember." 


THE   BLIND   MOTHER 

BLIND  woman  had  a 
son,  who  was  the  joy 
of  her  life.  Though  she 
had  no  sight  of  her  eyes, 
yet  she  was  skilful  of  her 
hands ;  and  it  was  her 
delight  to  make  pretty 
clothes  for  her  boy,  soft  and  fine  and  full 
of  delicate  stitches. 

By  and  by  the  boy  came  to  her  and  said  : 
"  Mother,  give  me  some  other  clothes  to 
wear.  These  are  too  small  for  me;  they 
pinch  and  bind  me.  Moreover,  they  are 
baby  clothes,  and  my  playfellows  mock  and 
laugh  at  me  because  of  them." 

But  the  mother  said :  "  Nay,  my  dar 
ling  ;  these  are  by  far  the  best  clothes  for 
you.  See  how  soft  and  warm  they  are  ! 
they  are  pretty  too,  I  know,  although  I 
cannot  see  them.  Be  content,  for  you  are 
my  own  darling  little  son,  and  so  you  must 
remain." 


THE    BLIND    MOTHER  73 

When  he  found  he  could  not  persuade 
her,  the  boy  held  his  peace ;  and  he  went 
out  and  looked  about  him,  and  found  the 
hide  of  a  wolf  and  the  pelt  of  a  fox,  and 
huddled  them  round  him  over  his  baby 
frock,  and  so  went  among  his  mates.  Only, 
when  he  came  back  to  the  room  where  his 
mother  sat,  he  threw  aside  the  skins,  and 
came  to  her  in  his  frock ;  and  she  kissed 
him,  and  felt  the  frills  and  the  silken 
stitches,  and  said  rejoicing :  "  You  are  my 
own  darling  little  son,  and  the  light  of 
my  life." 

By  and  by  again  there  was  a  war  in  that 
country,  and  all  the  young  men  went  out 
to  meet  the  enemy.  Some  were  clad  in 
armor  of  proof,  others  in  leathern  jacks  and 
doublets ;  and  with  them  went  the  son  of 
the  blind  woman. 

Then  when  the  woman  knew  that  her 
son  was  gone,  she  wept  and  lamented,  and 
ran  out  into  the  street.  There  she  met 
one  who  was  returning  from  the  field  of 
battle,  and  she  asked  him  how  went  the 
fight. 

"  Bravely,"  he  replied.  "  Our  men  did 
well,  all  save  one,  who  had  no  arms,  and 


74  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

whom  I  saw  beaten  down  and  at  sore 
odds  with  the  enemy." 

"  Oh  !  stranger,"  cried  the  blind  woman, 
"was  that  one  a  boy,  who  had  wandered 
by  mistake  into  that  dreadful  field,  —  a 
sweet  child,  with  the  prettiest  clothes,  all 
wrought  with  needlework  ?  " 

"  Nay,"  said  the  stranger.  "  It  was  a 
man,  half-naked,  huddled  in  the  skins  of 
beasts,  with  strange  rags  showing  under 
the  skins." 

"  Oh  !  "  said  the  woman.  "  I  wonder 
who  that  poor  soul  might  be ;  and  I  won 
der  when  my  little  darling  son  will  come 
home  to  me  again." 

And  even  while  she  spoke  her  son  lay 
dead,  and  huddled  round  him  was  the 
hide  of  a  wolf  and  the  pelt  of  a  fox,  with 
the  baby  clothes  fluttering  from  under 
them. 


"GO"   AND   "COME" 

;TTLE    boy,"    said    the    nurse 
one   day,    "  you  would   be   far 
better   at  work.     Your   gar 
den    needs    weeding    sadly ; 
go  now  and  weed  it,  like 
a  good  child  !  " 

But  the  little  boy  did  not  feel  like 
weeding  that  day. 

"  I  can't  do  it,"  he  said. 
"  Oh  !  yes,  you  can,"  said  the  nurse. 
"  Well,  I  don't  want  to,"  said  the  little 
boy. 

"  But  you  must  !  "  said  the  nurse. 
"  Don't  be  naughty,  but  go  at  once  and 
do  your  work  as  I  bid  you ! " 

She  went  away  about  her  own  work,  for 
she  was  very  industrious ;  but  the  little  boy 
sat  still,  and  thought  himself  ill-used. 

By  and  by  his  mother  came  into  the 
room  and  saw  him. 


76  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  What  is  the  matter,  little  boy  ? "  she 
asked  ;  for  he  looked  like  a  three-days' 
rain. 

"  Nurse  told  me  to  weed  my  garden," 
said  the  little  boy. 

"  Oh,"  said  his  mother,  "  what  fun  that 
will  be  1  I  love  to  weed,  and  it  is  such  a 
fine  day  !  May  n't  I  come  and  help  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  the  little  boy.  "  You 
may."  And  they  weeded  the  garden  beau- 
tifully,  and  had  a  glorious  time. 


CHILD'S   PLAY 

NCE  a  child  was  sitting 
on  a  great   log   that 
lay  by  the  roadside, 
playing ;    and    an 
other    child    came 
along,  and  stopped  to 
speak  to  him. 
"  What    are    you    doing  ? "    asked    the 
second    child. 

"  I  am  sailing  to  the  Southern  Seas," 
replied  the  first,  "to  get  a  cargo  of  mon 
keys,  and  elephant  tusks,  and  crystal  balls 
as  large  as  oranges.  Come  up  here,  and 
you  may  sail  with  me  if  you  like." 

So  the  second  child  climbed  upon  the 
log. 

"Look!"  said  the  first  child.  "See 
how  the  foam  bubbles  up  before  the  ship, 
and  trails  and  floats  away  behind !  Look ! 
the  water  is  so  clear  that  we  can  see  the 
fishes  swimming  about,  blue  and  red  and 


78  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

green.  There  goes  a  parrot-fish ;  my 
father  told  me  about  them.  I  should  not 
wonder  if  we  saw  a  whale  in  about  a 
minute." 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ? "  asked 
the  second  child,  peevishly.  "  There  is  no 
water  here,  only  grass ;  and  anyhow  this 
is  nothing  but  a  log.  You  cannot  get  to 
islands  in  this  way." 

"  But  we  have  got  to  them,"  cried  the 
first  child.  "  We  are  at  them  now.  I  see 
the  palm-trees  waving,  and  the  white  sand 
glittering.  Look  !  there  are  the  natives 
gathering  to  welcome  us  on  the  beach. 
They  have  feather  cloaks,  and  necklaces, 
and  anklets  of  copper  as  red  as  gold. 
Oh  !  and  there  is  an  elephant  coming 
straight  toward  us." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  ashamed," 
said  the  second  child.  "  That  is  Widow 
Slocum." 

"  It 's  all  the  same,"  said  the  first  child. 

Presently  the  second  child  got  down 
from  the  log. 

"  I  am  going  to  play  stick-knife,"  he 
said.  "I  don't  see  any  sense  in  this.  I 
think  you  are  pretty  dull  to  play  things 


CHILD'S   PLAY  79 

that  aren't  really  there."  And  he  walked 
slowly  away. 

The  first  child  looked  after  him  a 
moment. 

"  I  think  you  are  pretty  dull,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "  to  see  nothing  but  what  is 
under  your  nose." 

But  he  was  too  well-mannered  to  say 
this  aloud ;  and  having  taken  in  his  cargo, 
he  sailed  for  another  port. 


THE   WINDOWS 

MAN  who  lived  alone  (for 
he  did  not  get  on  well  with 
his    family)    was    sitting    in 
his   room   one  day,  thinking 
gloomy  thoughts. 

"  I  cannot  see  so  well  as 
I  used,"  he  said  to  him 
self.  "  I  can  hardly  see  to  do  my  work. 
It  is  evident  that  my  eyes  are  growing 
dim.  Probably  I  shall  be  blind  before 
long,  and  unable  to  do  any  work  ;  and 
then  I  must  starve  to  death,  or  go  to  the 
almshouse.  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  for 
me  to  go  there  now,  while  I  can  yet  see 
a  little." 

Just  then  his  neighbor,  who  was  a  stir 
ring  woman,  came  in  to  pass  the  time  of 
day  and  ask  for  his  health. 

"  Why  do  you  sit  here,"  she  asked, 
"  looking  like  beanstalks  after  frost  ?  " 

So  the  man  told  her  his  thoughts :  how 
his  eyes  were  failing,  and  he  could  hardly 


THE   WINDOWS  81 

see  to  do  his  work,  and  he  must  starve 
or  go  to  the  almshouse ;  and  while  he 
was  talking  she  bustled  about  the  room, 
drawing  water,  and  rummaging  among  the 
cloths  in  the  drawer  of  the  dresser. 

When  he  had  finished  talking,  "  Man 
alive,"  she  said,  "  your  windows  are  dirty ; 
that  is  all  the  matter." 

So  she  washed  the  windows. 

"  There  !  "  she  said,  and  went  about  her 
business. 

"  Dear  me !  "  said  the  man,  "  how  this 
glare  hurts  my  eyes !  They  must  be 
weaker  than  I  thought." 


A   MISUNDERSTANDING 

a    child   who    thought 
well    of    herself    was 
walking    along    the 
street,  and  saw  an 
other    child,  who 
was   poorly   clad. 
:  How    wretched     it 
must    be,"    she   said    to 
herself,  "to  be  poor  and  shabby  like  that 
child !     How   thin   she   is  !    and   how   her 
patched  cloak  flutters  in  the  wind ;  so  dif 
ferent  from  my  velvet  dress  and  coat ! " 
Just  then  an  Angel  came  along. 
"  What  are  you  looking  at  ? "  asked  the 
Angel. 

"  I  was  looking  at  that  girl ! "  said  the 
child. 

"  So  was  I,"  said  the  Angel.  "  How 
beautifully  she  is  dressed  1 " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  said  the  child. 
"  I  mean  this  one  coming  towards  us. 
She  is  in  rags,  or  at  least  if  her  clothes 


A   MISUNDERSTANDING  83 

are  not  ragged,  they  are  wretchedly  thin 
and  shabby." 

"  Oh,  no,"  said  the  Angel.  "  How  can 
you  say  so  ?  She  is  in  sparkling  white,  as 
clear  as  frost.  I  never  saw  anything  so 
pretty.  But  you,  you  poor  little  thing, 
you  are  indeed  miserably  clad.  Does  not 
the  wind  blow  through  and  through  these 
flimsy  tatters?  But  at  least  you  could 
keep  them  clean,  my  dear,  and  mended. 
You  should  see  to  that." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  can  mean !  " 
said  the  child.  "  That  girl  is  a  ragged 
beggar,  and  my  father  is  the  richest  man 
in  town.  I  have  a  velvet  dress  and  coat, 
trimmed  with  expensive  fur.  What  are 
you  talking  about  ?  " 

"  About  the  clothes  of  your  soul,  of 
course ! "  said  the  Angel,  who  was  young. 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  souls," 
said  the  child. 

"  I  should  n't  think  you  did  ! "  said  the 
Angel. 


FROM   A   FAR   COUNTRY 


|  HERE  lived  a  Spirit 
once  upon  a  time.  I 
cannot  tell  the  name 
of  the  place  where  he 
lived,  but  it  was  a 
good  place,  and  there 
were  many  other 
spirits  in  it,  beautiful  and  bright,  and  they 
all  wrought  together  at  happy  tasks,  fol 
lowing  the  bidding  of  a  heavenly  Voice. 

But  the  Spirit  of  whom  I  speak  was  not 
happy.  He  knew  not  what  ailed  him,  but 
it  was  a  cruel  ail,  and  left  him  no  rest. 
He  saw  some  spirits  who  were  set  at  higher 
tasks  than  his,  and  he  said  :  "  They  are 
wiser  than  I ;  they  can  tell  me  what  my 
ail  is,  and  how  to  cure  it." 

So  he  went  to  those  spirits,  and  looking 
in  their  faces,  he  saw  them  full  of  peace 
and  light.  And  he  asked  them :  "  Whence 
have  ye  this  peace  and  this  light,  while  I 


FROM   A   FAR   COUNTRY  85 

am  empty  save  of  darkness,  and  cannot 
rest  ? " 

They  looked  kindly  on  him  and  said : 
"  We  have  learned  the  Earth -lesson ;  now 
your  time  is  come  to  learn  it,  and  therefore 
you  cannot  rest.  Ask  of  the  Voice,  and 
do  what  it  bids  you !  " 

Then  the  Spirit  asked,  and  the  Voice 
said :  "  They  speak  the  truth ;  your  time 
is  come.  Shall  I  send  you,  or  will  you 
choose  for  yourself  ?  " 

And  he  said,  "  I  will  choose." 

Then  the  Earth  Book  was  opened  before 
him,  and  he  saw  many  pictures  therein, 
as  it  were  spirits  like  himself,  clothed  in 
mortal  flesh.  He  saw  a  beggar  in  flutter 
ing  rags,  and  a  soldier  in  a  red  coat ;  a 
poet  with  threadbare  cloak,  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  stars,  and  a  prince  clad  all  in  gold 
and  silver.  And  he  said,  "I  will  be  a 
prince." 

Then  sleep  fell  upon  him  like  a  mantle  ; 
and  the  next  hour,  in  a  kingly  house  on 
the  earth,  a  prince  was  born. 

Every  one  said  that  so  beautiful  a  prince 
had  never  been  seen.  Courtiers  and  ladies 
bowed  around  his  cradle,  and  whenever  he 


86  THE   GOLDEN    WINDOWS 

opened  his  baby  eyes,  he  saw  smiles  and 
soft  faces,  and  rich  colors  of  gold  and  gems. 

"  But  why  does  he  cry  ? "  asked  the 
Queen  his  mother ;  and  that  no  one,  not 
even  the  wisest,  could  tell  her. 

The  prince  grew  up.  All  the  days  of 
his  youth  were  filled  with  gay  and  joyous 
things,  and  every  hour  brought  its  pleas 
ure  ;  for  his  parents  said  :  "  His  life  shall 
be  perfect.  He  shall  lack  nothing  that 
earth  can  give." 

Yet  no  one  thought  the  prince  a  happy 
youth.  True,  no  one  heard  an  ungentle 
word  from  him,  and  his  lips  wore  a  smile, 
because  he  was  kind  at  heart ;  but  his  eyes 
were  grave,  and  seemed  to  be  always  ask 
ing  a  question  that  was  never  answered. 
Sometimes  those  who  were  about  him 
would  see  him  take  up  a  corner  of  his  rich 
cloak  and  look  at  it  wonderingly,  as  if  it 
were  strange  to  him  ;  and  when  travellers 
came  from  foreign  countries,  the  prince 
would  send  for  them,  and  look  earnestly 
on  them,  and  ask  them  searchingly  of  the 
lands  whence  they  came. 

One  day  came  one  in  a  threadbare  cloak, 
with  a  lute  on  his  arm,  and  bright  eyes  that 


FROM   A   FAR   COUNTRY  87 

were  at  once  sad  and  joyful.  The  prince 
looked  on  him  and  trembled,  yet  could 
not  cease  looking. 

"  Who  are  you,  stranger  ?  "  he  cried. 

The  man  laughed. 

"  A  stranger  indeed,"  he  said ;  "  yet  no 
more  strange  than  you,  Brother ; "  and  hs 
touched  his  lute,  and  sang  a  few  words  in 
an  unknown  tongue. 

Then  the  prince  came  down  from  his 
throne,  and  laid  his  arm  round  the 
stranger's  neck,  and  led  him  away  into 
his  garden.  Long  they  walked  and  talked 
together  there,  this  one  questioning  and 
the  other  making  answer ;  and  the  prince's 
laughter  came  ringing  through  the  trees. 

"  But  why  does  he  laugh  ? "  asked  the 
Queen  his  mother ;  and  that  no  one,  not 
even  the  wisest,  could  tell  her. 

When  the  stranger  was  gone,  the  prince 
laughed  no  more,  but  he  smiled  often, 
with  kind  lips.  He  sought  no  more  for 
pleasures,  but  set  himself  to  labor  for 
his  people,  toiling  early  and  late  to  raise 
them  from  poverty  and  ignorance,  and 
to  make  them  happy.  After  a  time  he 
died,  and  his  people  said :  "  He  was  a 


88  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

good  prince,  but  a  stranger  to  us ;  the 
others  loved  festivals  and  good  cheer, 
and  that  we  could  understand,  for  it  is 
the  same  with  us." 

But  the  free  Spirit  went  back  to  the 
good  place  whence  he  came,  and  where 
the  other  spirits  went  to  and  fro  at  their 
happy  tasks.  They  crowded  about  him 
with  joyful  faces,  welcoming  him  home. 

"  Have  you  learned  your  lesson  ? "  they 
cried. 

But  he  shook  his  head  and  answered 
sadly :  "  It  was  not  my  lesson  that  I  tried 
to  learn,  but  another's.  Pray  for  me,  that 
I  may  be  suffered  to  try  once  more." 

Then  all  the  spirits  prayed,  and  he  with 
them ;  and  the  Voice  said,  "  Be  it  so ;  he 
shall  try  once  more." 

Then  again  the  Earth  Book  was  spread 
open  before  him,  with  the  pictures  of 
prince  and  peasant,  gay  soldier  and  learned 
sage ;  but  he  laid  his  hands  over  his  eyes. 
"  Choose  thou  ! "  he  said. 

And  sleep  tell  upon  him  like  a  mantle ; 
and  in  that  hour,  in  a  green  place  under 
a  blossoming  tree,  in  a  humble  cottage 
on  the  earth,  a  poet  was  born. 


FROM    A   FAR   COUNTRY  89 

"  He  is  a  healthy  child,"  said  the  village 
gossips.  "  May  he  have  strength  to  earn 
his  bread  ! " 

"  But  why  does  he  laugh  ? "  asked  the 
poor  mother  ;  and  that  no  one,  not  even 
the  wisest,  could  tell  her. 


A   FORTUNE 

NE  day  a  man  was  walking 
along  the  street,  and  he 
was  sad  at  heart.  Busi 
ness  was  dull ;  he  had 
set  his  desire  upon  a 
horse  that  cost  a  thousand 
dollars,  and  he  had  only  eight 
hundred  to  buy  it  with.  There  were  other 
things,  to  be  sure,  that  might  be  bought 
with  eight  hundred  dollars,  but  he  did 
not  want  those ;  so  he  was  sorrowful,  and 
thought  the  world  a  bad  place. 

As  he  walked,  he  saw  a  child  running 
toward  him ;  it  was  a  strange  child,  but 
when  he  looked  at  it,  its  face  lightened 
like  sunshine,  and  broke  into  smiles.  The 
child  held  out  its  closed  hand. 

"  Guess  what  I  have  !  "  it  cried  gleefully. 
"  Something  fine,  I  am  sure  !  "  said  the 
man. 

The  child  nodded  and  drew  nearer ;  then 
opened  its  hand. 


A   FORTUNE  91 

"  Look  !  "  it  said  ;  and  the  street  rang 
with  its  happy  laughter.  The  man  looked, 
and  in  the  child's  hand  lay  a  penny. 

"  Hurrah  ! "  said  the  child. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  said  the  man. 

Then  they  parted,  and  the  child  went 
and  bought  a  stick  of  candy,  and  saw  all 
the  world  red  and  white  in  stripes. 

The  man  went  and  put  his  eight  hun 
dred  dollars  in  the  savings-bank,  all  but 
fifty  cents,  and  with  the  fifty  cents  he 
bought  a  hobby-horse  for  his  own  little 
boy,  and  the  little  boy  saw  all  the  world 
brown,  with  white  spots. 

"  Is  this  the  horse  you  wanted  so  to 
buy,  father  ?  "  asked  the  little  boy. 

"  It  is  the  horse  I  have  bought ! "  said 
the  man. 

"  Hurrah  ! "  said  the  little  boy. 

"  Hurrah  !  "  said  the  man.  And  he  saw 
that  the  world  was  a  good  place  after  all. 


THE   STARS 


LITTLE  dear  child  lay  in  its 
crib  and  sobbed,  because  it  was 
afraid  of  the  dark.  And  its 
father,  in  the  room  below,  heard 
the  sobs,  and  came  up,  and  said, 
"  What  ails  you,  my  dearie, 

and  why  do  you  cry  ? " 
And  the  child  said,  "  Oh,  father,  I  am 
afraid  of  the  dark.  Nurse  says  I  am  too 
big  to  have  a  taper ;  but  all  the  corners 
are  full  of  dreadful  blackness,  and  I  think 
there  are  Things  in  them  with  eyes,  that 
would  look  at  me  if  I  looked  at  them ; 
and  if  they  looked  at  me  I  should  die. 
Oh,  father,  why  is  it  dark  ?  why  is  there 
such  a  terrible  thing  as  darkness  ?  why 
cannot  it  be  always  day  ? " 

The  father  took  the  child  in  his  arms 
and  carried  it  downstairs  and  out  into  the 
summer  night. 


THE   STARS  98 

"  Look  up,  dearie  ! "  he  said,  in  his  strong, 
kind  voice.  "  Look  up,  and  see  God's 
little  lights!" 

The  little  one  looked  up,  and  saw  the 
stars,  spangling  the  blue  veil  of  the  sky ; 
bright  as  candles  they  burned,  and  yellow 
as  gold. 

"Oh,  father,"  cried  the  child  ;  "  what  are 
those  lovely  things  ? " 

"  Those  are  stars,"  said  the  father. 
"Those  are  God's  little  lights." 

"  But  why  have  I  never  seen  them  be 
fore  ? " 

"  Because  you  are  a  very  little  child,  and 
have  never  been  out  in  the  night  before." 

"  Can  I  see  the  stars  only  at  night, 
father  ? " 

"  Only  at  night,  my  child  ! " 

"  Do  they  only  come  then,  father  ? " 

"  No ;  they  are  always  there,  but  we 
cannot  see  them  when  the  sun  is  shining." 

"  But,  father,  the  darkness  is  not  terrible 
here,  it  is  beautiful  !  " 

"  Yes,  dearie ;  the  darkness  is  always 
beautiful,  if  we  will  only  look  up  at  the 
stars,  instead  of  into  the  corners." 


THE   COOKY 

CHILD  quarrelled  with  his 
brother  one  day  about  a 
cooky. 

"It   is    my   cooky ! "   said 
the   child. 

"  No,  it  is  mine  !  "  said  his 
brother. 

"  You  shall  not  have  it !  "  said 
the  child.  "  Give  it  to  me  this  minute  ! " 
And  he  fell  upon  his  brother  and  beat 
him. 

Just  then  came  by  an  Angel  who  knew 
the  child. 

"Who  is  this  that   you  are   beating?" 
asked  the  Angel. 

"  It  is  my  brother ! "  said  the  child. 
"  No,  but  truly,"  said  the  Angel ;  "  who 
is  it?" 

"  It  is  my  brother,  I  tell  you  ! "  said  the 
child. 

"  Oh,  no  ! "  said  the  Angel.     "  That  can 
not  be,  and  it  seems  a  pity  for  you  to  tell 


THE   COOKY  95 

an  untruth,  because  that  makes  spots  on 
your  soul.  If  it  were  your  brother,  you 
would  not  beat  him." 

"  But  he  has  my  cooky  1 "  said  the  child. 

"  Oh  !  "  said  the  Angel.  "  Now  I  see 
my  mistake.  You  mean  that  the  cooky 
is  your  brother  ;  and  that  seems  a  pity, 
too,  for  it  does  not  look  like  a  very  good 
cooky,  and  besides,  it  is  all  crumbled  to 
pieces." 


THE   STRONG   CHILD 


HERE  was   once  a  child 
who  was  so  big  and  strong 
that  he  thought  he  was 
a  man. 

"  See  !  "  he  said  to  his 
mother.     "  I  am  a  man  ! 
Give    me    my    father's 
sword,  and  I  will  take  care  of  you." 

"That  will  be  beautiful!"  said  his 
mother ;  and  she  gave  him  the  sword,  and 
sighed  and  smiled. 

The  child  held  the  sword  lightly,  he  was 
so  strong,  and  brandished  it  about. 

"  Look ! "  he  said.  "  I  can  wield  it 
easily.  If  we  meet  a  lion  or  a  bear  on 
the  road,  I  will  kill  it  with  one  blow, 
thus!" 

"  That  will  be  glorious  ! "  said  the  mother ; 
and  she  sighed  and  smiled. 

But  when  the  child  put  the  sword  back 
in  the  sheath,  it  chanced  that  he  caught 


THE   STRONG   CHILD  97 

his  finger  on  a  pin  that  was  about  his 
dress,  and  tore  the  flesh. 

"  Oh,  mother  !  "  he  cried.  "  This  dread 
ful  pin  has  scratched  my  finger.  Look ! 
here  is  a  great  drop  of  blood  !  oh  !  how  it 
hurts  !  "  and  he  wept  bitterly. 

"  Thank  God  !  "  said  the  mother.  "  You 
are  still  a  child." 

And  she  kissed  the  finger,  and  bound 
it  up,  and  wept  too,  for  joy. 


MAN  knelt  at  the  altar  and 
prayed. 

"  O  God,"  he  said,  c'  I  am  all 
evil,  without  and  within.     My 
soul   is    black  with  the    color 
of  my  sin,  and  my  shoulders 
are  bowed  with  the  weight 
of  it.     God  of  all  mercies, 
be    merciful    to    me,    the 
chief    of    sinners  ! " 

As  he  went  out  he  met  a  friend. 
"  Where   have   you   been  ? "   asked    the 
friend. 

"  I  have  been  at  the  altar,"  said  the 
man,  "  confessing  my  sins." 

"  Speaking  of  sins,"  said  the  friend, 
"  there  is  a  fault  that  I  have  often  noticed 
in  you." 

And  he  told  him  of  his  fault. 
"  Liar ! "  said  the  man,  and  smote  him 
on  the  mouth. 


THE   GIFTIE 

MAN    was    complaining    of    his 
neighbors. 

"  I  never  saw  such  a  wretched 
set  of  people,"  he  said,  "  as  are  in 
this  village.  They  are  mean,  self 
ish,  greedy  of  gain,  and  careless 
of  the  needs  of  others.  Worst  of 
all,  they  are  forever  speaking  evil  of  one 
another." 

"Is  it  really  so  ? "  asked  an  Angel  who 
happened  to  be  walking  with  him. 

"  It  is  indeed  !  "  said  the  man.  "  Why, 
only  look  at  this  fellow  coming  towards 
us  1  I  know  his  face,  though  I  cannot 
tell  you  his  name.  See  his  little  sharp, 
cruel  eyes,  darting  here  and  there  like  a 
ferret's,  and  the  lines  of  covetousness  about 
his  mouth !  The  very  droop  of  his  shoul 
ders  is  mean  and  cringing,  and  he  slinks 
along  instead  of  walking." 


100  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  It  is  very  clever  of  you  to  see  all  this," 
said  the  Angel ;  "  but  there  is  one  thing 
that  you  do  not  perceive." 

"  What  is  that  ? "  asked  the  man. 

"  Why,  that  it  is  a  looking-glass  we  are 
approaching  1 "  said  the  Angel. 


THE   STAFF 

NCE    there   was    a    woman 
who   had  a  sword  in  her 
heart ;  but  because  she 
was   a  decent   body, 
she  covered  it  with 
her  shawl,  and  went 
about  her  business,  and 
no  one  knew  of  it. 
Once  as  she  went   along   the  way,  she 
saw  another  woman,  tottering  slowly  along, 
groping  with  her  hands,  and  moaning   as 
she  went. 

"  Why  do  you  grope  thus  ? "  asked  the 
first  woman,  "  and  why  do  you  moan  as 
you  go  ? " 

"  I  am  sick  and  wounded,"  said  the 
second  woman  ;  "  moreover,  I  am  blind, 
and  I  am  groping  for  something  that  may 
serve  as  a  staff,  to  stay  my  steps  as  far  as 
the  end  of  the  way." 


102          THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

The  first  woman  looked  about  for  a  tree, 
but  there  was  none,  nor  any  bush  from 
which  she  could  cut  a  staff. 

Then  she  drew  the  sword  out  from  under 
her  shawl,  and  put  it  in  the  blind  woman's 
hand,  and  said,  "  Take  this,  since  it  is  all 
I  have  to  give." 

The  blind  woman  took  it,  and  felt  it 
all  over,  and  leaned  on  it. 

"  Oh,"  she  cried  joyfully,  "  here  is  a 
good  staff;  with  this  I  shall  do  well." 
And  she  thanked  the  other,  and  blessed 
her. 

And  when  the  first  woman  looked  at 
that  which  had  been  her  sword,  it  was 
a  staff  indeed. 


THE   DOOR 

BOY  was  running  through  flower- 
starred  meadows,  chasing  butter 
flies  and  answering  the  songs  of 
the  birds.     By  and  by  he  came 
to  a  wall,  and  in  the  wall  was 
set   a   wide   and    lofty   door ; 
but    the    door   was    locked, 
and  guarded  by  spirits,  with 
names  written  in  their  foreheads. 
"  Shall  I  knock  at  the  door  ? "  asked  the 
boy. 

"  Not  yet ! "  said  one,  rising  from  the 
ground  where  she  had  been  lying.  The 
name  on  her  forehead  was  Indolence,  and 
she  had  soft  eyes,  and  a  slow,  soft  smile. 

"  On  the  other  side  is  work  to  do,  - 
work  all  day  long,  and  no  time  or  chance 
to  play.  See  the  flowers  here,  and  the 
ripe  fruit  on  the  trees,  and  the  soft  grass 
where  we  may  lie  at  length  and  look  up 
at  the  blue  sky !  Do  not  knock  at  the 
door  yet  1 " 


104          THE   GOLDEN  WINDOWS 

"  Not  yet  1 "  said  another,  who  wore  a 
green  robe.  His  face  was  subtle,  and  the 
letters  on  his  forehead  seemed  to  shift  and 
blur  so  that  the  name  was  hard  to  read  ; 
but  when  one  looked  steadfastly,  it  was 
Selfishness. 

"  On  the  other  side  are  people  who  will 
ask  you  to  do  things  for  them,  —  poor  and 
sick  and  suffering  people,  with  doleful  tales 
to  tell  and  ugly  scars  to  show ;  all  trouble 
some  and  importunate.  Here,  on  this  side 
of  the  wall,  everything  is  done  for  you ; 
on  the  other  side,  it  is  you  who  must  do 
things  for  the  rest  of  the  world.  Stay 
here  as  long  as  you  can,  in  the  flowery 
meadow  ;  do  not  knock  at  the  door  yet ! " 

"  Not  yet ! "  cried  two  twin  spirits  in 
gray,  with  frightened  eyes ;  the  names 
on  their  foreheads  were  Timidity  and  Ig 
norance. 

"  On  the  other  side  are  two  terrible  things, 
hobgoblin  shapes  of  horror  and  cruelty. 
One  is  called  Life,  the  other  Death.  No 
sooner  will  you  cross  the  threshol  1  of  the 
door  than  they  will  come  ravening  at  you, 
and  clutch  you,  and  tear  you  with  their 
dreadful  claws,  and  finally  devour  you. 


THE   DOOR  105 

Do  not  knock  at  the  door,  we  implore 
you  ! " 

"You  interest  me  extremely,"  said  the 
boy.  "  I  must  look  into  this  !  " 

He  knocked,  and  Destiny  opened  the 
door. 


THEOLOGY 

>OME  children  were  quarrel 
ling  one  day,  and  calling 
one  another  names 

"  You  are  stupid,'  said 
one  ;  "  if  you  were  not,  you 
would  think  as  I  do." 

"  If  you  were  not  wholly 
blind,"  said  another,  "  you  would  see  with 
my  eyes." 

"  Your  ignorance  is  what  troubles  me  ! " 
said  a  third. 

"  Ignorance  is  not  so  bad  as  ill-will ! ' 
said  a  fourth. 

Just    then    came    by    the    Angel-who- 
understands-things. 

"What  are  you  quarrelling  about,  chil 
dren  ? "  asked  the  Angel. 

"  About  our  God  ! "  said  the  children. 
"  Oh  ! "  said  the  Angel.     "  The  God  of 
Strife,  I  presume  ? " 


THEOLOGY  107 

"  No  ! "  cried  one.  "  He  is  the  God  of 
Peace ! " 

"He  is  the  God  of  Wisdom!"  said 
another. 

"  He  is  the  God  of  Love  ! "  said  a  third. 

••  Indeed  ! "  said  the  Angel.  "  I  never 
should  have  thought  it." 


A   MATTER   OF   IMPORTANCE 


T  happened  one  day  that  the 
Angel- who-attends-to-things 
was  hastening  along  the 
street,  with  his  wings  tucked 
in  and  his  robes  tucked  up, 
for  he  was  in  a  hurry,  when 
a  Duke  looked  out  of  his 
castle  window  and  called  to  him. 

"  Stop  a  moment,  please  ! "  said  the  Duke. 
"  I  wish  to  consult  you  about  the  succes 
sion  to  my  dukedom.  You  know  my 
grandfather,  the  Archduke - 

"  I  cannot  attend  to  you  this  morning ! " 
said  the  Angel.  "  I  am  engaged  on  busi 
ness  of  importance ;  your  affair  must  wait 
till  another  time."  And  he  passed  on. 

"Dear   me!"  said   the  Duke.     "What 
can  be  more  important   than  the  succes 
sion  ?     I  really  must  follow  him,  and  see 
what  this  great  matter  is." 
So  he  followed  the  Angel. 


A   MATTER   OF   IMPORTANCE      109 

The  Angel  hurried  along,  and  presently 
he  passed  by  a  Bishop's  palace,  and  the 
Bishop  put  his  head  out  of  the  window 
and  called  to  him. 

"  Please  come  in  a  moment ! "  said  the 
Bishop.  "  I  wish  to  consult  you  about  the 
Great  Synod  which  is  to  be  held  - 

The  Angel  shook  his  head. 

"  I  am  on  business  of  importance,"  he 
said.  "  I  cannot  attend  to  trifles  this 
morning."  And  he  passed  on. 

The  Bishop  looked  after  him.  "What 
mighty  business  can  this  be,"  he  said, 
"that  makes  the  Great  Synod  seem  a 
trifle  ?  I  really  think  I  must  go  and  see." 
And  he  followed  the  Angel  and  the  Duke. 

Presently  the  Angel  passed  by  a  King's 
palace,  and  the  King  looked  out  of  the 
window  and  called  to  him. 

"  Please  come  in  here  1 "  said  the  King. 
"  The  enemy's  forces  have  crossed  the 
border,  and  threaten  to  besiege  the  capital. 
I  wish  to  consult  you  at  once  on  the  steps 
to  be  taken." 

"  By  and  by  !  "  said  the  Angel.  "  I  am 
on  business  of  importance  now,  and  cannot 
stop  for  trifles."  And  he  hurried  on. 


110  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

The  King  looked  after  him.  "  It  must 
be  something  of  world-wide  importance," 
he  said,  "  which  can  make  the  invasion  of 
my  kingdom  seem  a  trifle.  I  must  really 
go  and  see  what  it  is."  And  he  followed 
the  Angel  and  the  Duke  and  the  Bishop. 

The  Angel  turned  from  the  wide  street, 
and  passed  down  a  narrow  lane,  and  into 
a  dingy  court,  where  poor  clothes  hung 
drying.  In  the  middle  of  the  court  stood 
a,  little  child,  with  its  eyes  tight  shut  and 
its  mouth  wide  open,  crying  and  roaring 
as  if  its  heart  would  break. 

The  Angel  ran  to  the  child,  and  knelt 
down  and  took  it  in  his  arms. 

"Hush!  hush!"  he  cried.  "It  is  all 
right,  dear.  You  took  the  wrong  turning, 
that  was  all.  She  is  just  round  the  corner. 
Quick,  let  me  wipe  the  tears  away  !  Look  ! 
there  she  comes  this  minute." 

A  woman  came  flying  round  the  corner, 
wild-eyed  and  panting.  The  Angel  put 
the  child  into  her  arms,  and  the  two 
melted  together,  and  sobbed  and  laughed 
themselves  away  out  of  sight. 

The  Angel  drew  a  long  breath,  and 
rustled  his  wings  a  little,  and  turned  to 


A  MATTER   OF   IMPORTANCE      111 

go  back  ;  and  as  he  turned,  he  saw  the 
Duke  and  the  Bishop  and  the  King,  all 
out  of  breath  and  crimson,  and  staring 
with  big  round  eyes. 

"  Oh  !  are  you  there  ? '  said  the  Angel. 
"  Well,  now  I  can  attend  to  your  little 
matters." 


THE   SCAR 

ROTHER,    what    is    that 
scar  above  your  heart  ? " 

"  Brother,  the  mark  of 
a  sword." 

"  Of  whose  sword  ? " 
"  Brother,  of  yours." 
"Nay!" 
"  Even  so  ! " 

"  Brother  of  my  heart,  could  I  wound 
you  thus,  and  still  forget  ? " 
"  Yes,  since  you  bear  no  scar." 
"  Brother  of  my  soul,  could  I  wound  you 
thus,  and  go  myself  unscarred  ? " 

"  Verily,  yes ;   since   it  is   not  the  hilt 
that  wounds." 


THE   STRANGER 

GOOD  man  was  worshipping 
his  God  in  sincerity  and  in 
truth  ;  and  as  he  worshipped, 
a  Stranger  came  by,  and 
stopped  to  observe  him. 

"  Why    do    you    worship 
alone,  brother  ?  "    asked   the 
Stranger. 

"  Because  there  is  none  in  this  place  to 
worship  with  me,"  said  the  man. 

"  How  is  that  ? "  asked  the  Stranger. 
"  Do  I  not  hear  sounds  as  of  worship  from 
yonder  open  door,  as  if  two  or  three  were 
gathered  together  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  "  said  the  good  man.  "  Those 
people  are  no  doubt  worshipping  after 
their  manner,  but  it  is  not  the  manner  to 
which  I  am  accustomed." 

"  But  is  it  the  same  God  whom  they 
worship  ? "  asked  the  Stranger. 

"  Oh,  yes  ! "  said  the  good  man.  "  It  is 
the  same  God,  but  there  is  everything  in 
the  way  in  which  the  thing  is  done." 


114          THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

"  Is  there  truly  ? "  said  the  Stranger. 
And  he  passed  on,  and  went  in  at  the  open 
door. 

The  good  man  looked  after  him ;  and 
just  then  came  by  an  Angel  of  his  acquaint 
ance. 

"Do  you  know  who  that  was  who  just 
spoke  to  me  ?  "  asked  the  man. 

"  Do  you  not  know  ?  "  said  the  Angel. 

"  No  ! "  said  the  man.  "  He  is  a  stranger 
to  me." 

"  Oh  ! "  said  the  Angel.  "  If  he  is  a 
stranger  to  you,  I  fear  I  can  do  nothing 
for  you."  And  he  followed  his  Master  in 
at  the  door. 


THE   WEDDING   GUESTS 


F  the  guests  who  were 
bidden  to  the  Wed 
ding  Feast,  there 
were  two  who  started 
at  the  same  moment ; 
and  both  were  given 
the  same  equipment 
for  the  journey, 
namely,  a  staff  in  the  hand,  and  a  jewel  to 
wear  in  the  breast. 

The  first  one  said,  "  A  staff  is  well  enough, 
but  why  should  I  walk,  when  I  might  ride  ? 
I  should  soil  my  wedding  garment." 

So  he  got  him  an  easy  carriage,  and  stout 
and  swift  horses,  and  servants  to  drive  him, 
and  clad  himself  in  a  rich  garment,  and 
started  on  his  journey.  As  he  travelled, 
the  road,  which  at  first  was  smooth  and 
flowery,  grew  ever  steeper  and  rougher ; 
and  at  each  steep  pitch,  he  called  for  more 
and  softer  cushions,  and  for  stronger  horses  ; 


116  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

and  he  wrapped  himself  in  fold  on  fold  of 
rich  stuffs,  lest  any  whiff  of  dust  or  drop 
of  mud  should  stain  his  wedding  garment ; 
the  folds  were  so  thick  across  his  bosom 
that  they  hid  the  jewel  he  wore,  and 
quenched  its  light.  And  as  he  went,  many 
by  the  wayside  cried  to  him  to  stop  and 
help  them,  for  it  was  a  weary  way,  and  full 
of  pitfalls,  and  of  sharp  flints  that  bruised 
the  feet,  and  sharp  thorns  that  tore  the 
flesh.  But  he  only  bade  his  servants  drive 
on  the  faster.  "  These  be  evil  ways  and 
evil  days,"  he  said  ;  "  I  fear  for  the  jewel  in 
my  breast,  and  for  my  wedding  garment ; 
drive  on,  lest  ill  befall  us  !  " 

The  second  guest  started  out  staff  in 
hand  on  his  journey,  and  for  a  while  strode 
merrily  on ;  but  by  and  by  he  too  came  to 
the  rough  steep  hills,  and  to  the  pitfalls, 
and  the  sharp  flints  that  bruised  the  feet, 
and  the  sharp  thorns  that  tore  the  flesh. 
Then,  because  he  was  slender  of  mould,  he 
many  times  stumbled  and  fell,  and  got  up 
again  all  bleeding  and  bemired  from  the 
flints  and  the  pitfalls.  His  staff  bent  in 
his  hand,  and  seemed  like  to  break,  yet  it 
did  not  break ;  and  the  thorns  tore  his 


THE   WEDDING   GUESTS  117 

clothes  to  tatters,  and  the  wind  whistled 
through  them.  These  were  evil  days  for 
the  wedding  guest.  Moreover,  the  men 
.who  were  travelling  that  same  road  called 
to  him,  some  praying  for  help,  and  others 
jeering  at  him,  and  making  mock  of  his 
ragged  clothing  and  slender  staff.  Yet 
many  times,  when  one  cried  to  him  from 
the  depth  of  a  pit,  he  stopped,  and  held  out 
his  staff  to  the  fallen  man,  and  drew  him 
out ;  and  then  the  staff  seemed  stout 
enough. 

Still  other  men  there  were  who  called  to 
him,  saying,  "  Give  up  the  rough  road  and 
the  weary  way,  and  come  and  revel  here 
with  us  ! "  and  laid  hold  on  him  ;  and  when 
he  would  not,  they  fell  upon  him  and  beat 
him,  and  tried  to  take  his  jewel  from  him. 
But  he  beat  them  off  with  his  staff,  and 
again  it  seemed  stout  enough  for  this. 

Now  the  Lord  of  the  Feast  waited  to 
receive  his  guests ;  and  as  these  two  had 
started  at  the  selfsame  moment,  even  so 
they  came  together  to  the  door  of  the  ban 
queting  hall ;  and  the  first  one  entered 
proudly,  but  the  other  stood  without  at  the 
door. 


118  THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

Then  said  the  Lord  to  the  first  guest, 
"  Where  is  your  staff  ? " 

"  Lord,"  said  the  man,  "  I  had  no  need 
of  a  staff,  for  I  came  hither  in  a  carriage, 
lest  I  soil  my  wedding  garment." 

"  And  have  you  your  jewel  ?  "  asked  the 
Lord. 

"  Yea,  Lord  !  "  said  the  man.  "  I  have 
it  safe,  and  so  well  covered  with  rich  stuffs 
that  nothing  could  come  near  it,  neither 
dust  nor  soil." 

As  he  spoke,  he  drew  back  the  thick 
folds  from  his  breast ;  and  there  lay  the 
jewel  indeed,  but  it  gave  no  light,  and  was 
as  a  thing  dead. 

"And  you,  son,"  said  the  Lord  of  the 
Feast  to  the  other  guest ;  "  why  do  you 
stand  at  the  door  and  lean  upon  your  staff, 
when  the  feast  is  ready  ? " 

And  the  second  answered,  "  Lord,  my 
garment  was  poor  at  the  starting,  and  now 
it  is  torn  and  stained  with  brambles  and 
dust,  so  that  I  am  not  fit  to  come  in ;  and 
as  for  the  staff,  I  am  weary  to  faintness, 
and  I  lean  upon  it  because  it  holds  me 
well,  though  it  be  slender ;  and  indeed  it  is 
stouter  than  it  was,  I  know  not  how." 


THE   WEDDING   GUESTS  119 

"  And  your  jewel  ? "  asked  the  Lord. 

"  Alas  !  "  said  the  man,  "  I  have  striven 
so  hard  and  fallen  so  often  by  the  way  that 
I  many  times  forgot  the  jewel,  and  know 
not  even  now  whether  I  have  it ;  and  even 
if  I  have,  it  may  well  be  dim  with  dust, 
and  dead  of  its  light,  like  this  man's." 

"  Show  it  me !  "  said  the  Lord  of  the 
Feast. 

Then  the  man  drew  aside  the  ragged 
cloak  that  covered  him ;  and  the  jewel 
shone  out,  and  lighted  the  room. 

Then  said  the  Lord  of  the  Feast  to  him, 
"  Come  in,  and  sit  with  me  at  my  table  !  " 

And  as  the  man  crossed  the  threshold, 
the  tattered  clothes  fell  from  him,  and  he 
stood  robed  as  it  were  in  a  garment  of 
light,  and  the  jewel  shining  in  his  breast ; 
and  he  passed  in  to  the  feast. 

Now  when  the  other  guest  saw  that,  he 
cried  out  bitterly,  and  said,  "Lord,  does 
this  man  pass  in,  and  I  stay  without  ? " 

And  the  Lord  said,  "  Nay  !  come  you  in 
also,  and  serve  him  and  me  !  " 


HOME 


NCE,  in  these  later  days, 
there  came  to  this 
earth  a  Child  who 
had  been  here  once 
before.  The  day 
was  cold,  and  late  the 
hour,  and  the  Child 
wandered  far  and  wide,  as  if  seeking  some 
thing.  As  he  went,  the  little  foxes  peeped 
from  their  holes,  and  said,  "  Where  are 
you  going,  little  Master  ? "  and  the  Child 
answered,  "  I  am  seeking  something,  but 
I  cannot  well  tell  what,"  and  he  wandered 
further. 

By  and  by  he  came  to  a  great  door,  from 
which  came  sounds  of  music,  sweet  and 
solemn.  He  pushed  the  door  open  and 
looked  in ;  and  there  was  a  great  place 
full  of  dim,  rich  light,  and  the  music 
flowing  through  it  in  waves  as  of  a  sea. 


HOME  121 

Here  and  there  men  and  women  were 
kneeling  on  the  marble  floor,  looking  up 
at  a  figure  that  hung  carved  upon  a 
cross,  fixed  as  in  pain  and  anguish  ;  and, 
before  this  figure  men  in  rich  garments 
passed  to  and  fro,  muttering  prayers  and 
offering  perfumes. 

The  Child  looked  at  the  figure,  which 
hung  in  unending  pain.  "  That  is  some 
thing  that  I  have  known,"  he  said,  "  but 
it  is  not  what  I  am  seeking ; "  and  he 
wandered  further. 

After  a  time  he  came  to  a  tall  house, 
and  here  again  he  heard  sounds  of  music, 
women's  voices  singing  thin  and  sweet. 

He  pushed  the  door  open  and  looked  in  ; 
and  here  were  many  women,  robed  and 
veiled  in  black,  kneeling  and  singing  before 
the  picture  of  a  woman  with  seven  swords 
in  her  heart ;  and  the  women  sang  : 

"  For  He  that  is  mighty  hath  done  to 
me  great  things,  and  holy  is  His  name." 

The  Child  looked  at  the  picture  of  the 
woman,  and  said,  "  This,  too,  is  some 
thing  that  1  have  known,  but  it  is  not 
what  I  am  seeking ; "  and  he  wandered 
further. 


0 
122          THE   GOLDEN   WINDOWS 

And  as  he  went,  the  little  birds  peeped 
from  their  nests  and  said,  "  Where  are 
you  going,  little  Master  ? " 

And  the  Child  answered,  "  I  am  seeking 
something,  but  I  cannot  yet  tell  what." 

Now  it  was  growing  very  late,  and  the 
Child  was  cold  and  weary ;  and  as  he  went, 
he  heard  yet  once  more  the  sound  of  music, 
but  this  time  it  was  one  voice  that  sang, 
and  that  a  low  one  ;  it  came  from  a  humble 
cabin  that  stood  beside  the  way,  and 
from  the  cabin  window  came  a  gleam 
of  light  that  lay  bright  across  the  bare 
road. 

The  Child  pushed  open  the  door  and 
looked  in.  There  by  a  small  bright  fire  sat 
a  woman  with  a  child  on  her  knee,  and 
another  leaning  beside  her,  and  a  third 
lying  in  the  cradle  beyond  her ;  and  the 
woman  stirred  the  fire  as  she  sat,  and 
sang  to  the  babe  in  her  lap.  And  as 
she  sang,  it  chanced  that  she  turned  her 
head,  and  saw  the  Child  standing  in  the 
doorway. 

"  Little  one,"  said  the  woman,  "  come 
in,  and  let  me  warm  the  little  cold  feet 
of  you  by  the  fire,  and  the  little  cold 


HOME 


128 


hands  of  you  in  my  bosom  ;  and  drink 
warm  milk,  and  then  sleep  heside  the  babe 
in  the  cradle  here." 

"  Oh  !  Mary  Mother  !  "  said  the  Child, 
"  now  I  know :  I  was  seeking  where  to  lay 
my  head." 

And  he  entered  in. 


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